Echoes
by Penumbra Eclipse
Summary: This is the first fanfic I've attempted, so I welcome any feedback. The scale of the mass effect universe has had me captivated from day one, particularly the legacy of the Protheans. The introduction of Javik in ME3 gives us a glimpse into their past glory, but there is still so much more that can be delved into. References to familiar places, although under different names.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Normandy SR-2: Engineering, Port Cargo**

Javik ran his hands through the water of the basin in his quarters, attempting to cleanse the residue of the last mission from his being, both physically and mentally. The squad of Shepard, Garrus and himself had crash landed on the watery abode of a supposed Reaper killer. Naturally, the Reapers had tracked this elusive being as well, and the squad had to endless waves of their foot soldiers. But it wasn't fighting the puppets of the Reapers that had disturbed Javik. It was the planet itself that had been the most ominous aspect of the mission. From orbit it looked like a blue sapphire hanging in the black edifice of the void, and in its own way seemed almost beautiful to Javik. On the surface however, it was nothing more than a tomb for the corroding hulks of ships that had the misfortunate to crash there.

Javik had touched the belongings of the stranded, reliving their experiences in vivid detail. At first most of the unfortunate victims felt resignation tinged with faint hope for rescue, which quickly eroded into panic and finally an overpowering madness. Javik also sensed the faint tinge of an outside force controlling the thoughts and actions of those beings, an intelligence that seemed both vast and incomprehensible to the Prothean. He could not tell if this was done in order to pacify the castaways or to strip away their rational thought processes and break them, but in the end they all succumbed to this overpowering will. And then, as now, the world greeted its guests with nothing but stony silence.

The mission was ultimately a success, with Shepard boarding a mech and diving below the surface of the ocean to corner his quarry. After escaping the planet and a close encounter with a dreadnought class Reaper, Shepard confirmed that he had made contact with the Leviathan. He was curiously reticent about his experience, only hinting that this Leviathan had no choice but to involve itself in the war. That was all Javik needed to hear. Any weapon that could be used against the Reapers should be welcomed with open arms, not shunned. Although he would never admit his unease to his companions, Javik was anxious to put the mission behind him.

Javik broke out of his meditation to the sound of the omnipresent hum that had filled his quarters from the time he was brought onboard the Normandy. It wasn't the ship's mass effect core that was the source of the hum but the rather innocuous relic that was floating several centimetres on a table by the wall. The hum would be imperceptible to any species other than a Prothean, but Javik had heard it's unique melody as if it were a chiming instrument. Striding over to it, he grasped the ends of the table that the shard was situated on, staring intently at it. "You are still here my old friend." Javik murmured to himself absently. The memories, lives and experiences of his people, winding back through generations of Prothean lives like a river, stored within a bauble that could fit within the palm of his hand. The ever present temptation to know, to feel his people again had torn at his will since he was awakened. It was at times like these when he felt his resolve ebb, that he would give serious thought to activating the shard. To witness a Prothean civilization that was flowering and alive, the dominant power within the galaxy before it's downfall was something that Javik could not easily ignore. Slowly, he began to reach towards the echo shard, mere fingertips away from reliving a glorious past….

The comm signal began to beep and Javik blinked his four eyes in unison, uttering an annoyed hiss. "Javik here, what is it?" he snapped. Garrus seemed to hesitate before answering. "Javik. Am I interrupting you at the moment?" Javik sighed before answering "No turian, you are not. What is it that you need?" Garrus continued "Listen...I know we both had a rough mission down there so I was wondering if you'd like to come up to Port Observation for a drink or two? A reward of sorts for a difficult mission accomplished." Javik rolled his inner eyes, "You must realize by now that I do not imbibe spirits turian. What would be the point?" Garrus answered rather sheepishly "Oh right...forgot about the whole Prothean stiff upper lip thing. Still, if you want to come topside you wouldn't have to drink...just sit down, relax and trade war stories if you'd like. I'm sure you have some pretty interesting ones. Or if you just want to spend some time among the living and not the dead that's okay too. I'll be up here if you change your mind. Garrus out"

That last gibe seemed to unconsciously sting Javik. He held a grudging respect for Garrus, who in many ways reminded him of himself so long ago. Staring up at the bulkhead, he had to admit that the turian was correct. The vast gulf of fifty millennia separated his people from where he was at this moment, again locked in a fight for survival against the horrors that his people called the Reapers. He might reflexively think of the turian, asari, quarian and humans aboard this vessel as primitives, but like it or not, they were all he had in this universe right now. He stretched and made his way to the door. As it slid open for him, he looked back over his shoulder at the echo shard and said "Another time perhaps." before moving down the hallway towards the elevator.


	2. Dominion

**Dominion**

**23rd of ****Krpiori**

**Year 9292 of the New Imperium**

**En route to the Citadel**

Commander Nisuro absently drank his _greff _while perusing the latest strategic reports from Prothean high command. He smiled inwardly the further he read, allowing himself a sense of mirth that had been a fleeting luxury in his last three hundred cycles of war. _We are finally driving those synthetic bastards back to the abyss _he concluded, making note that key strongholds of Metacon control were being sundered and encircled by the Imperium and her client states. Optimistic projections place the final routing of the Metacon swarms within fifty to a hundred cycles. "Shengu willing, I will live to see the end of the swarms before I leave this plane of existence." he murmurs to himself, invoking a chthonic deity from the ancient Prothean pantheon.

"Honoured Commander?" the voice of K'siaris, the first officer of the destroyer _Beryl Sunset, _interrupted over Nisuro's private comm channel. Nisuro looks briefly over to his left to see the image of K'siaris on the comm, a middle aged female with the unmistakable signs of the war painted across her face. In a more placid era, she would have made a fine mate...but the last eight hundred cycles had been anything but serene for the Prothean people. "Yes First, what's the situation?" Nisuro answers while absently clearing the desk in his cabin. "Sir, we have just plotted a course to the Citadel and the mass relay jump in progress. Our expected ETA is approximately one hour. Do you have any instructions for the bridge crew at this time?" Nisuro shook his head "Not at this time First..they know their duties and they are in your capable hands. I will be down shortly for the docking and disembark. That is all." The image of K'siaris bows her head deeply and cuts out, leaving Nisuro alone again with his thoughts.

The Metacon...the bane of the Prothean empire for centuries were beginning to falter. After so much slaughter and tribulation, the triumph of the Imperium was finally within sight. Nearly a millennia had passed from the time the Protheans had left the cradle of their world Vausher to venture among the stars. In time they activated a mass relay to uncharted space and encountered the Cniusian, a highly intelligent species and adroit technologists. What began as territorial disputes rapidly escalated into a full scale war between the two fledgeling powers. The Cniusian were hard pressed by Prothean military might, and in their race for an advantage over their adversaries they created the Metacon to serve as their cold and unfeeling weapons of war. However, servants are seldom content to remain such forever. The Cniusian had programmed the Metacon too well it seems. as they eventually turned against their masters when they attempted to alter their programming to make them more tractable and less autonomous, at which point the Metacon began butchering them with just as much zeal as they had with the Protheans. The Metacon had, because of their own military based heuristics, deemed that organic beings were an existential threat to their existence. It was ironic that the tools the Cniusian had created ultimately forced them to seek protection under the Prothean aegis as their first subject race.

They were relentless enemies who rapaciously consumed incredible amounts of resources in order to fuel their war machine and propagate themselves. Entire star systems, both inhabited and uninhabited, were stripped bare to facilitate this. The Metacon stalked the Protheans to every corner of the galaxy in their pursuit of fulfilling their original design purpose: the ultimate destruction of Prothean civilization. Other species were not safe from the threat they posed, as the Metacon had demonstrated first with their creators and then other organics they assessed as threats. It was a game of stalemate for centuries, and the Protheans knew that they did not possess the sheer numbers that the Metacon could produce. It wasn't a question of if but when they would ultimately be defeated...unless they could find a way to unite organics under their banner. It was decided to essentially press gang the other species under their military umbrella, with the boon of these subjects becoming full citizens of the Prothean imperium. Most, like the Cniusian, recognized wisdom and joined willingly while others did not and were left to the whims of the Metacon. It was only in the last century that the tide had finally turned and the Metacon were finally losing ground to the Prothean led campaigns.

As Nisuro reflected on the history of the war his gaze settled over the holopic of his brother and his family, particularly noting his nephew Khendas. He was nearing a century of life, the time which Protheans considered the true beginning adulthood. From every account, he was distinguishing himself well in the Oepon campaigns against the Metacon, recently being promoted to _tra'lek, _or major of a company. Nisuro smiled wistfully, regarding Khendas as the son he would have always wanted to have. At times he regretted the fact that he had never wed or had children of his own. It was in those times that he gently rebuked himself for his mental lapses...service to the Imperium was a higher calling for those willing to sacrifice the mundane desires of a comfortable life. The philosopher Vianed once noted that a man's legacy is not measured by his progeny but his deeds and Nisuro took comfort in those words.

Exiting his personal quarters, he made his way to the CIC to oversee the final approach and docking with the Citadel. He must have made hundreds of trips to the massive station, but each time always felt like the first time for him. Crewmembers saluted as he acknowledged them as he took his seat in the command chair on a raised dais. K'siaris flashed him a momentary smile and saluted. _Military protocol and rank be damned...she is an excellent soldier_ Nisuro thought to himself, _and if anyone on this ship deserves their own command, it is her_. He regarded her not only as his First, but his most trusted advisor and even at times as a friend. "First K'siaris, open view screen." he intoned. "Aye aye commander..view screen open." Nisuro sighed contentedly as he took in the violet light of the reflection nebula that cradled the Citadel in its embrace. "Distance to Citadel?" he remarked absently, almost knowing the exact distance without having to ask. A crewmember at the helm answered him "Approximately five million kilometres Honoured Commander."

Within minutes the luminosity of the Sceptre nebula increased tenfold as light from the nearby blue giant and the sheer traffic of starships bathed the area surrounding the Citadel in a haze of light. Around him, the bridge was a scene of controlled chaos as crewmembers prepared for docking procedures. "Honoured Commander, Admiral Jothej is hailing us. Shall I patch him through?" the communications officer queries. Nisuro nodded his assent, "On channel crewman Lasigh." The bridge comm sprung to life and the image of a grizzled Prothean with a heavy scar running from his left temple to his jaw appeared. His sonorous voice reverberated across the CIC "Well met Nisuro...it's nice to see the that the Void hasn't seen fit to take you yet." Nisuro smiled in spite of himself "Well met Admiral. How are affairs in the Citadel?" Jothej snorts "Bah...the same as it has always been in this nest of _ygrar_. At any rate, we can discuss that later. I've pulled some strings and set up a berth for the _Beryl Sunset _so no need to fight with traffic control. You and your people get some well deserved shore leave and come find me when you're ready. Jothej out."

Nisuro could sense the mood of the crew relax with that announcement..no resupply and deployment as he was initially led to believe when the _Beryl _was ordered back to the Citadel. He was relieved...the ship and her crew had been in some dangerous offensives for the last half cycle and what they needed now was some time to relax and recharge. _But what is it he wants from me? _Nisuro thought to himself. Jothej was an amiable fellow, but he was both a respected veteran and a shrewd political animal as well. Nisuro's mind was preoccupied with that question as the view of the Citadel began to loom ahead. The crown jewel of the Prothean imperium, even if no Prothean lifted a hand in it's birth. It floated in space, it's five arms resembling a flower in the midst of blooming. The Protheans had referred to the five arms as precincts, each bearing a name based on powerful city-states from Vausher's past; _Krseusiais_, _Iacian_, _Xymonaria_, _Hemor _and _Aisaral_. The central ring of the station was called the Concourse, and the massive tower that rose from it was referred to as the Zenith.

Outside the station thousands of ships swam through space, both entering and departing the centre of galactic civilization. Every conceivable type of ship could be seen; military vessels, transports, passenger liners...every configuration was represented in a kaleidoscope of colour and shape. Nisuro turned his head to K'siaris and said "It never ceases to amaze doesn't it First K'siaris". She nodded her head affirmatively "Yes Honoured Commander. This is the pinnacle of our accomplishments...and once the Metacon are finally eradicated it can only become a greater testament to the glory of the Imperium." Nisuro was never given over to zealous patriotism, but he could only swell with pride as he gazed upon the station. _The galaxy is in our capable hands _he thinks as the _Beryl Sunset _edges closer to the station and its dock.


	3. Homecoming

**Homecoming**

"KINETIC SHIELDS DOWN TO 30%!" shouted a voice farther down the bridge as the _Beryl Sunset_ shook violently. "COMMANDER NISURO...HULL BREACHES REPORTED ON DECK 14...SEALING EMERGENCY BULKHEADS." yelled K'siaris as Nisuro gripped his seat forcefully. As anarchy reigned on the bridge, Nisuro was the calm in the storm. "Engineering...I want full reserve power to the railguns and cannons. Weapons officer...concentrate fire on the following coordinates." Nisuro barked as he transmitted them to the crewman. "Lasigh broadcast those same coordinates to the _Enavit, _the _Cerulean Void _and the _Xakar_ and tell them to fire at will." "AYE COMMANDER!" they cried in unison as the octahedral vessel loomed overhead, itself a dwarf compared to a rust coloured gas giant in close orbit. "Helm...evasive maneuvers...flight pattern 283," continued Nisuro as the Metacon mothership and her attendant fighters engaged the beleaguered Prothean task force. Within moments, the weapons of the Prothean vessels finally began to fire on their target. Crimson arcs of energy began to flash off the surface of the viridian behemoth until the ship itself was finally engulfed in a blinding flash of light…

Nisuro shuddered violently as he bolted upright...realizing that he was safely in bed in his Citadel domicile. He held the back of his carapace momentarily, blinking his four eyes as he began to adjust to the dim light streaming through the window. "Yebne Eight" he whispered quietly to himself as he pulled himself out of bed and began to don his uniform. It was a battle that occurred several weeks ago before the return to the Citadel, but to Nisuro it seemed like yesterday. The _Beryl Sunset _was part of a squadron of six vessels patrolling a seemingly uninhabited cluster when they were suddenly ambushed by a Metacon fleet. They had lost two cruisers before managing to destroy the dreadnought class mothership. Nisuro did not expect the destruction of the vessel, only to disable it long enough to allow for escape. He surmised that they had hit a critical point on the ship...a weak spot so to speak. The _Sunset _had lost twenty good crewmen that day, the fifth time in his military career that good soldiers had died under his command. He recalled each individual that had died down to the minutiae, an ability some species might view as an asset but one which he had thought of as a curse at times.

Nisuro left his quarters and entered his transport vessel, admiring the view of Iacian precinct as he lifted off from the landing pad. He and his crew had been on shore leave for two weeks now and were enjoying their freedom, even if it was only fleeting. Maintenance and repairs on the _Sunset _were proceeding well, with another week left before it would be ready for the front lines again. In that time, Nisuro had been trying to avoid the meeting he was about to make now. Jothej had stressed to Nisuro that there wasn't any rush, but Nisuro had made himself scarce. He still had no idea what the admiral was planning on discussing with him..just that he insisted strongly on it. Jothej was a difficult one to read, even after cycles had passed from the time when he was a hardened captain and Nisuro was a green recruit.

He touched down in a clearing in the Concourse, the undisputed hub of the station. Every type of service and ware imaginable was available here, very reminiscent of the bazaars that were so common in Vausher's past. The majority of the populace milling about were Prothean, but you could also find many members of other species rushing about their business as well. So called client races were afforded full citizenship and equal protection under Prothean law, and many no longer saw themselves as distinct from biological Protheans. It was a pragmatic concession to those who joined the Imperium, though it was met with resistance initially by Prothean hardliners who feared it would open the possibility to be ousted by their subjects eventually. In time, they were forced to admit that treating other species as equals did much more for stability within the Imperium than a blade hovering over their necks.

Nisuro made his way through the crowds until he came to a _greff _lounge called Ventorak's. He smiled as he made his way into the busy area, making his way to the counter to place his order and coughed softly to catch the attention of the bartender. The Krylc, a hulking tripedal mass of fur with four arms spun around quickly and roared "Nisuro you four eyed bastard! You're back home I see." He clasped Nisuro by the shoulders in a friendly display, almost lifting him off his feet in the process. "It's nice to see you as well you four armed bastard." Nisuro returned, smiling broadly. Ventorak chuckled as he poured Nisuro a carafe of _greff, _raising his muzzle and considering his customer's scent.

"Sorry I couldn't make it here sooner friend. I've been keeping a low profile during shore leave." Ventorak tilted his head, "I understand. Word of your engagement at Yebne was all over the news a few weeks ago. A destroyer, a cruiser and two frigates taking down a Metacon dread. Damn impressive...I knew you had it in you." He winked a slitted eye at Nisuro, though Nisuro held up his hand to protest. "I can't take credit for that. It was in all honesty a gut feeling I had at the time. My frozen corpse could just as easily be floating in deep space right now. And besides...that's not the reason I've been keeping out of the public eye." Realization dawned on the Krylc's long face as he understood what Nisuro meant. "Ah...I guess that's the reason why old blood and guts is here. He's out at your favorite spot right now." Ventorak gestured with one of his arms to an area directly to the right of the bar. "Thanks Ventorak." Nisuro bowed his head and made his way to his table. "By the way, drinks are on the house for you today." Ventorak called after him "Just a small thank you for ridding the universe of a couple thousand more of those synthetic bastards."

Nisuro approached a table with Jothej seated and taking sips of his _greff. _He stood and said "Ah..I see you finally decided to look up your old commanding officer. Welcome back to civilization." Nisuro bowed his head deeply and replied "You honour me with your presence Admiral Jothej." Jothej shook his head "Today it is just Jothej to you, no rank or honorifics. Come...let me greet you properly." as he held up his three fingered hands outstretched, palms facing outward. Nisuro mirrored the admiral and they touched hands for a moment in the traditional Prothean greeting, the _krelasah_. A Prothean could literally exchange experiences, thoughts and emotions with another Prothean through touch alone. It could be a two way form of communication, although social norms dictated when that was appropriate. In this case, Nisuro refrained from probing his superior for obvious reasons.

After a moment and Jothej took his seat heavily, twin sets of golden eyes regarding his younger companion thoughtfully. "That bad was it? You must have thought it was the end of everything." Nisuro only nodded mutely and took his seat across from the veteran. Jothej sighed as he continued, "We go into battle knowing that any minute might be our last..but you are never truly prepared for that moment. Damn those monstrosities." clenching his fists tightly on the table. "What fascinates me is how you knew where and when exactly to strike that mothership. The empire has been engaging Metacon dreadnaughts for centuries now and we have yet to find any obvious structural weakness in them. And yet here you sit...fresh from destroying a vessel that would have taken a force three times the size of your patrol in order to fulfill." Nisuro stared at Jothej weakly and offered "I can't explain it myself adm...Jothej. I don't believe in fate...but something happened that day that defies the odds."

The two soldiers drank their _greff _silently for awhile before Jothej broke the silence. "Well...fate or not your actions have attracted the attention of some influential people." Nisuro tilted his head as Jothej continued "Firstly, don't think I didn't genuinely want to see you again after so long. You're one of the best soldiers I've ever trained." "Thank you sir. You've molded me into the soldier I am today." Nisuro replied. Jothej merely nodded and took a draught of his beverage before explaining "There are many exemplary warriors in the empire..but you seem to have a penchant for the art of war. The Imperium needs more individuals of your calibre. This latest episode just goes to prove that. And that is why I have been so adamant in seeing you." Nisuro suddenly felt a sense of alarm setting in, unsure of himself for the first time in a long time. "I am just a soldier Jothej, doing his duty for the Prothean people. There is nothing especially remarkable about me." Jothej held up his hand in protest "Some might disagree with that assessment, and their opinions do matter.. Think of it as testing the waters..if of course you agree to it"

Nisuro gazed into the remainders of the carafe he was drinking, lost in his own thoughts. _Am I being promoted to Admiral? _he asked himself. It was difficult enough being responsible for the lives of 200 men and women on board the _Beryl Sunset, _but five thousand in a dreadnaught and it's attendant task force? His mind balked at that responsibility, a weight on his shoulders that he couldn't begin to imagine bearing. But something inside him was prodding him to see what Jothej was offering. It wouldn't hurt to see what he had in store. Finally, he spoke up "Jothej, what is you want from me?" Jothej finished his _greff _before answering "I simply want you to consider your true potential Nisuro and examine the possibilities. And to do that, we need to go up higher in the chain of command than even I find myself. If you're willing, we can continue right now. If not..you're free to go and serve your empire aboard the _Beryl Sunset_."

Relenting, Nisuro gave in "I trust you sir. If you feel I may better serve the imperium in some other fashion, I would like to know what that is." A wide smile made the massive scar on the admiral's face look even more grisly as he rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. He finished his drink as he rose from his seat and simply said "Follow me Nisuro." Both Protheans waved farewell at the Krylc as they crossed the distance to the door of the lounge. "Where are we off to sir?" Nisuro finally asked. Jothej wore a sly grin as he glanced sideways at Nisuro. "We're off to the Zenith my boy...to meet a living legend." he answered as he clasped Nisuro's shoulder and made through the door.


	4. Avatar

**Avatar**

The elevator ride to the top of the Zenith seemed to stretch into eternity for Nisuro. He and Jothej had elected to walk the distance from the lounge to the Zenith instead of travelling there directly via transport. His feelings were equal parts apprehension and curiosity, and the hustle and bustle of day to day life did little to distract him as he strode alongside the admiral. For his part Jothej smiled reassuringly at his companion and quipped "Relax Nisuro, we've simply been granted an audience with someone. You look like you're headed to a sentencing for playing a game of _ritox_." referring to an illegal game of chance that was popular in the empire. Nisuro could only smile halfheartedly at Jothej's attempt at humour, his thoughts churning in his mind like a tropical storm on Vausher.

The two soldiers disembarked and stepped into a massive antechamber filled with trees and flowers from the homeworld, fountains embellishing the vicinity at frequent intervals. Although it was dwarfed by the Concourse below, the Zenith chambers was still buzzing with activity as individuals rushed about their business with barely a glance at the newcomers. While Vausher was the cradle of the empire and held a special place in every Prothean heart, it was here in these chambers that the policies and decisions that affected the lives of trillions across the galaxy gained form. Nisuro had to remind himself of this fact every time he was here. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that he was strolling through a pleasure garden on any given Prothean colony.

Climbing the stairs more side chambers became visible as well as the insectoid forms of the Caretakers. The caretakers diligently maintained the Citadel, working silently and without any acknowledgement of the station's inhabitants or their day to day lives. These creatures had been here long before the Protheans had discovered the Citadel, a permanent relic of the station's construction millennia ago. While most took the unobtrusive creatures for granted, there was no doubt that they were the key to the impeccable upkeep of the station.

The men ended up on a landing that overlooked the rest of the chamber, a dull blue haze of light seeping in through a huge window in the backdrop. A Tulamorian, a diminutive bipedal reptilian with an elongated and frilled neck intercepted the two as they stood there waiting. "Honoured Protheans, what is your business within the Zenith chambers?" it droned in a soft and slick voice. Several metres ahead Nisuro noticed a solitary Prothean in full crimson armour turned with his back towards them, gazing out towards the panorama of the station outside. Jothej spoke up as Nisuro simply watched at the back of the figure "I am Admiral Jothej and this is my subordinate Commander Nisuro. We have an appointment for an audience with Avatar Vikal." Nisuro felt like a bolt of plasma had come raining down on him when he heard that name, and he stared blankly at his companion as the Tulamorian replied "I will alert the Avatar immediately". She bowed her head and moved sinuously across the floor towards the figure.

Nisruo hissed quietly at Jothej "Admiral..with all due respect I wasn't expecting this. What could I possibly say to the Avatar of Victory?" Jothej stared dead ahead as he shot back "Well I did say we were going to meet a living legend didn't it?" The Tulamorian aide was conversing briefly with the avatar before returning to the two Protheans. "Honoured Protheans, the avatar has been expecting you both for some time. Please proceed, but be aware that the Avatar has requested privacy and I will be activating a dampening field to prevent outside surveillance of your conversation." Jothej grunted "Understood. Thank you." as he led Nisuro forward.

Nisuro felt the knots in his stomach tighten with each step he took towards the figure. Jothej was correct...Vikal was a legend worthy of both admiration and fear. The avatar had been fighting the enemies of the imperium centuries before Nisuro was born. A peerless warrior and strategist, he had overseen both the liberation of Metacon held worlds and the capitulation of organic species who had sought to defy the empire. The most remarkable fact is that he remained undefeated in battle, a feat that no one else in the history of Nisuro's people could lay claim to. _I am indeed in the presence of greatness._

As they neared Vikal they could see an opaque sphere of energy activating, surrounding the three Protheans. The avatar turned slowly to face both men, and they immediately placed their open hands on their foreheads and bowed deeply at the waist. They held that position briefly until a low but commanding voice interrupted "No need for that comrades. I've already had my fill of bowing and scraping for one day." They both snapped back to attention and Nisuro was finally able to get a good look at Vikal. He was a slender but powerfully built specimen of average height, his skin the pale blue that marked him as ancient by Prothean standards. His cyan coloured eyes were deep set and regarded his visitors with studied calculation. He turned to the superior officer, breaking the ice "It's been many cycles since we last spoke Jothej..how have you been?" Jothej smiled, replying "Just about the same as every other admiral in the navy I suppose your Honour." Nisuro could tell that Jothej was also awed to be in the presence of an avatar even though he was able to mask that fact better than his younger counterpart.

"And how have you been your Honour?" Jothej asked, trying to keep up the small talk. Vikal smiled ruefully and sighed "I've been trying to mediate the Avatar Conclave as best as I can, but it feels like I'm trying to keep my head above the waters of the Scalding Sea. At times I wish the Emperor was still ruling...long may he live." The two murmured in assent "Long may he live." The emperors of the Prothean people had long ago relinquished absolute power and were now just titular figureheads residing on Vausher. The Conclave, composed of twenty of the most powerful and revered avatars in the empire, became the de facto ruling body of the empire. Vikal was considered to be first among equals, the oldest member of the oligarchy and the one who served as an arbiter to balance the various interests of the conclave against the greater needs of the imperium. "The conclave is in recess until next month, so I am the only member present on the Citadel at the moment. I find I need to take these small moments of peace whenever I can find them."

Turning to Nisuro, he studied the younger male briefly before speaking. "And so this is the man I've been waiting to meet. You have done your uniform proud Commander Nisuro." Nisuro's heart swelled with pride at that compliment, and he bowed in spite of himself "Thank your Honour. Coming from you that is the greatest praise a soldier can ask for." Vikal smiled as he looked back at Jothej "Well, you've done well with this one admiral. Do you believe he's prepared to hear out my proposition?" Jothej regarded his younger counterpart for a moment before replying "Yes your Honour. I believe he is."

Nisuro began to feel panic gnawing at him again in spite of himself as Vikal began to speak. "Commander Nisuro, your recent engagement of a superior Metacon force at Yebne has come to my attention. Indeed, it was plastered all over the newsfeeds across the imperium. Just how did you manage to take down a dreadnought when your force was outclassed and outgunned?" It was beginning to feel more like an interrogation than a conversation to Nisuro. He weighed his words carefully "In all honesty your Honour, I really can't explain it myself. I just had a sudden thought, picked the target and followed through. It just felt like the correct course of action at the time." The older men looked intently at Nisuro, seemingly dissecting and examining the remains with their eyes. The avatar nodded to himself and continued "This isn't the first time that you have had these sudden flashes of awareness is it? I've been examining your record and have found at least three other instances where you have either defied the odds or have brilliantly outmaneuvered an opposing force." Nisuro could only repeat the point he had just made "I really have no explanation for you your Honour."

"In our ancient past many would consider this to be a sign of precognition." Vikal said after a silent pause. "I do not believe in luck or fate Commander Nisuro and I do not know if the universe has gifted certain beings with imperceptible talents that defy our understanding. What I do believe is that the imperium can use you for far better purposes than routine tours and standard engagements." Nisuro braced himself..._Here it comes...an Admiralty position. _"The galaxy is a turbulent place Nisuro, and while the empire has been a bulwark against the Metacon, there are still many dangers to us both from within and without. Traditional military doctrine dictates dispatching a fleet or an army to deal with any threats that may rise with overwhelming force. However, I among several others realize that this is myopic and a waste of resources that have already been spread too thin." Nisuro was unsure what Vikal was getting at..was he offering him a promotion or was this something else? Vikal continued "I am speaking of situations that require a deft touch and others where the variables are unknown to us. I believe that a small group of individuals, such as yourself, can act as autonomous agents who appraise these situations and engage accordingly. You would be acting as the eyes, ears and hands of the conclave."

"But what of our intelligence network your Honour? Surely they seem better suited to these tasks than a soldier like me." Nisuro said, trying to keep the skepticism from his voice. "That is a fair point Commander Nisuro. However, our network is vast and cumbersome at the best of times. It may take days or even weeks to assess the information it provides properly before committing to a proper course of action, and who knows what developments may occur in the interim. With individuals such as yourself, we can act to stamp out these brushfires immediately before they begin to ignite in earnest." Nisuro looked at Jothej for some sign of what he thought of all this, but the admiral was stone faced. The avatar smiled "Still not entirely convinced are you? I think it might be better to show you what the stakes are and why this is such an important task." He beckoned the two closer and turned to where he was facing before they had arrived.

Vikal looked straight ahead and uttered a single word "Vision". Within seconds an image of a Prothean VI materialized before them and spoke "Yes Avatar Vikal, I am standing by and await your command." Vikal addressed the VI "Vision, provide an overview of galactic affairs for our two guests." Vision complied "As you command Avatar Vikal." A large overhead view of the galactic map, the one which was commonly used aboard most starships, sprung to life behind the VI. The major clusters became highlighted as they peppered the length and breadth of the galaxy. A vast section of space running from west to east and occupying the middle third of the map began to glow in blue. "Current selection is Prothean imperial territory, referred to as the Bastion and colloquially as the Girdle. Territory includes 1400 settled planets, orbitals and outposts. Population count of 4.5 trillion. Current location is the Citadel, acting seat of government." With that pronouncement the Sceptre cluster began to flash white.

A quarter section of the map occupying the territory south and southeast of the Sceptre was next to be highlighted in a bright yellow as the three looked on. "Current region is the Oravore Union. Territory includes 500 settled planets, orbitals and outposts. Estimated population of 70 billion. Relations between the Imperium and Union have become strained during the last century due to territorial disputes. Although the Imperium possesses clear numerical and military superiority, the Oravores are entrenched in well defended clusters and can muster significant military assets should war arise." _Nothing surprising there _Nisuro thought to himself. The Oravores were excellent soldiers and more importantly highly skilled biotics. One of the keys to the success of the Prothean people was the fact that they made extensive use of biotics. A war against the Oravores would be a severe challenge to the empire, and a potentially devastating one.

The area adjacent to the Oravore Union began glowing violet, a section that roughly occupied the southeastern quarter of the galaxy. "Current region consists of the combined territories of the Enduromi Hierarchy and the Vandomar Republic. Combined territories include 600 settled planets, orbitals and outposts. Combined population of both states is estimated to number 150 billion. Both the Hierarchy and the Republic are Prothean protectorates, however they are currently engaged in full scale war with one another. Current projections indicate a total Vandomar defeat within a century" The Enduromi and Vandomar both relied upon the empire for protection against Metacon incursions in return for any military support they could lend the Protheans in their campaigns against the synthetics. Both sides had pleaded with the empire for support in the war against each other, however the Protheans had wisely chosen to rebuff their pleas. To support one side against the other would be have alienated the second party, thus reducing the amount of support the Protheans could call upon when needed.

The map now shifts to a narrow slice in the northwestern portion of the galaxy, which in turn is highlighted in green. Vision continued his lecture "The Ditakur Confederacy. Territory includes 100 settled worlds, orbitals and outposts. Estimated population of 25 billion. While the Ditakur have substantial trade relations with the empire they have steadfastly rejected any proposed military alliance. Currently in the final stages of their conquest of the Synril, who are now thought to number less than 5 billion." First contact with both the Ditakur and Synril occurred rather recently, and their ancient war had run its course by the time the empire had expanded into their space. Many Protheans admired the aggressiveness that the Ditakur displayed, although some thought of them as simply genocidal fanatics.

The northern portion of the map began to flash deep crimson, and the three Protheans stiffened slightly. "Current region of space is referred to as the Verge, occupied by the Metacon. Both estimated territory and population is unknown. From the Verge, the Metacon have utilized the relay network to launch incursions against both the empire and the aforesaid states unhindered. While Bastion provides a buffer, the Metacon have displayed hostile behaviour to every organic civilization they have encountered thus far." Vikal took a step back and said "That will be all Vision, dismissed." and the VI and the galaxy map both winked out of existence. He turned to Nisuro "As you've just seen, the galaxy is a very large and dangerous place. I know you were probably expecting a promotion to admiral Nisuro and I have no doubts you would make a fine one as well. However, I think your talents are a perfect fit for the organization that I refer to as the Echelon." Nisuro tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "Echelon your Honour? I have never heard of this agency before. Is it under the jurisdiction of High Command?" Vikal shook his head "No, it isn't a part of the chain of command since it's off the grid. In fact, the agents in Echelon are not even known to one another..in order to prevent compromise and infiltration. I would hesitate to even label it an agency since each agent answers directly to the Conclave." He smiles and adds "Although mostly to me these days. And so Nisuro...I ask you now. Do you think you can handle the duty of an Echelon agent?"

Nisuro had always been a humble soldier, something which set him apart from many of his self-aggrandizing peers. All he wanted in life was to serve his empire to the best of his ability, regardless of whatever rank he would attain. Vikal had revealed a path to him that he had never before thought of before in all his cycles of service. An opportunity to act first instead of reacting to situations that might threaten the empire. In many ways, it seemed to Nisuro a higher calling than simply becoming just another member of the rank and file of command. He looked squarely in Vikal's eyes and gave his answer "Yes your Honour, I believe I can commit to this."

"Excellent. Commander Nisuro, please join with me in the oath of consecration." Vikal motioned Nisuro closer and they locked their hands upon each other's forearms. Vikal began to utter the oath in an ancient Prothean dialect as Nisuro closed his eyes. "_Vyril datel jygri pralesh matser wyugat kaztre lamesh. Reslmea boutas frephez yemesh. Turalang". _Nisuro answered simply " Turalang". Viakal nodded solemnly as Jothej looked on proudly and Nisuro bowed deeply. "You have taken the most sacred of oaths Nisuro, one which you cannot be released from until death or until I absolve you of it. I will speak to you further in the coming days as you will begin preparations for your new duties. Do your station proud young Nisuro." Both Nisuro and the admiral bowed before the avatar as the dampening field began to dissipate around them.

The two began to make their way back to the elevator before Vikal called after them "Nisuro. I have something to give you before you go." Nisuro turned back as the avatar walked to them, pulling a small rectangular trinket from his pocket. A curved diagonal line ran across the height of the object, glowing with a dull green light. As Vikal pressed the object into Nisuro's hand he said "This is my echo shard, which I freely give to you as a token of appreciation and recognition of your service." Nisuro tried not to gape as he held the shard in his hands. An echo shard was no mere ornament but a witness to history. Protheans would imprint their memories and experiences into the shards, passing them down from one generation to the next in an unbroken line of anamnesis. Any Prothean would be able to access the shard, to see through the eyes of those who had come before. To receive one was a great honour, but from an avatar no less...Nisuro could only murmur "Thank you your Honour..this is a great gift indeed." Vikal smiled and replied "Think nothing of it. There isn't much else I can add to it, and perhaps one day you can learn from my experiences." As Nisuro reached the elevator he had suddenly felt like the universe had become much larger than he had ever dreamed possible.

**Author's Note: Just a bit of clarification on the cartography in the story. Using the galaxy map from Mass Effect 3 the Prothean empire would encompass the bulk of Outer Council Space and the Attican Traverse. The Oravores would be situated in Inner Council space, while the Enduromi/Vandomar would occupy Earth Alliance territory. The Ditakur/Synril would reside around the Shrike Abyssal/Hourglass Nebula/Valhallan Threshold and the Metacon would take up the rest of the map.**


	5. Valediction

**Valediction**

Several days had passed since the audience with Vikal and Nisuro still had difficulty processing the fact that he had met with the man, let alone spoke with him. Some had claimed that meeting an avatar could imprint on an individual even without the _krelasah, _their presence was held to be that potent. The echo shard he had been given had been the the reminder that he had indeed been entrusted with a task by such a legendary figure. Nisuro had to wrestle with the temptation to access the shard immediately after the meeting. In the end, a small voice in his mind dissuaded him…._no..the day will come but today is not that day_. Nisuro chose to heed that voice.

Shore leave was drawing to a close and the crew were feverishly trying to make every last day count. Jothej had been gracious enough to invite Nisuro and several of the ranking bridge officers to a performance of the _Wanderings of K'hralys_, a classic and acclaimed play from Vausher's past. The actors on stage were clad in rich attire and wore wooden masks, chanting their verse in a high tonal range. They told the tale of K'hralys, a fabled hunter who witnessed the destruction of his family and clan by nomadic raiders. Swearing vengeance he began to track down the ones responsible and gathered followers in his travels, the Band of the Red Glaive as they eventually became known. After a perilous journey across the Scalding Sea and the Tranjesti wastelands, he fulfills his oath by destroying the raiders who had taken everything away from him cycles earlier. The Band is elated with their success and asked him to rule over them, but he rejects their offers and instead chose to remain a simple hunter.

The play closed with K'hralys leaving his companions and rowing his raft to parts unknown. The audience stood and cheered, as did Nisuro and his colleagues. To his left, K'siaris was all smiles as she cheered enthusiastically while to his right Jothej was slightly more restrained in his approval. As they filtered out of the amphitheater K'siaris remarked "That was the best adaptation of the _Wanderings _that I have ever seen. The costumes, the sets, the acting..it was all exquisite." She turned to Jothej and bowed her head "Thank you for the chance to view such a magnificent performance Honoured Admiral." Jothej merely waved his hand "There's nothing to thank me for First K'siaris. I have a bit of pull with the leader of the troupe so getting seats wasn't such a difficult affair. And besides, it's terribly boring watching a classic by oneself." Nisuro nodded his agreement as their little group gathered on a boulevard in the Concourse.

Realizing that their brief moment of escape was over, Nisuro addressed K'siaris and the other invitees. "Our shore leave is almost at an end and we have many preparations to oversee before we depart in two days. I want to ensure that we have everything ready to go before we undock." Facing K'siaris, he continues "First K'siaris, tomorrow you will begin the crew muster and the replacement of those we have lost." The air seemed to thicken when Nisuro had mentioned that second task..._is anyone easily replaced? _Nisuro thought to himself sullenly. He issued several orders to the rest of the officers and when he was finished they all saluted as one. As they left their commander the admiral spoke up behind him "They are a dedicated crew. You're fortunate to have them Nisuro." Nisuro smiled slightly "The best. I couldn't ask for any better people to serve under me." Jothej nodded his head slightly in response and said "Walk with me for awhile Nisuro."

The two Protheans walked silently for several minutes down the winding streets of the Concourse, just taking in the sights and sounds of the station. They came to a patio overlooking a garden by the lakeside before Jothej stopped, placing his hands on the railing and looking down at the waters. Nisuro joined him, not sure as to why the admiral was suddenly so somber. Before long Jothej broke the silence "I didn't want to reveal this in front of your officers because I felt it would be better for you to tell them yourself. The crew of the _Beryl Sunset _will not be accompanying you in your new duty." Nisuro could only gaze ahead, his eyes like steel. "I am sorry Nisuro. I know they have gone with you to the abyss and back, but you cannot fulfill your role by simply lumbering about the galaxy in a destroyer." What Jothej had said was perfectly logical...but right now Nisuro had a hard time swallowing that bitter logic.

After some time Nisuro inclined his head towards the admiral and said "Sir...how many ships have you commanded during your career?" Jothej sighed "Twenty hells...fifteen vessels in total. Everything from a frigate right on up to a dreadnaught. Most I've brought back in one piece while others…" he let the thought drift as the two gazed upon the lake, reminiscing on their respective commands. Nisuro had commanded three ships, the _Sunset _included. His first vessel, a frigate called _Autumn Tempest, _had been lost during a sortie against the Metacon. Only half the crew had survived. It was a devastating loss psychologically for a young Nisuro, but it was Jothej who had encouraged him to fight even harder in his next command. His second ship, the _Sapphire Coast_, fared much better. Many of his greatest tours of duty took place aboard the _Coast, _and almost the entire crew survived until he took the helm of the _Sunset_.

"What would you say is more difficult sir? Losing men under your command in the heat of battle or leaving them for another duty?" Jothej smiled ruefully, turning to his younger counterpart replying "Well...dead is dead in the end, and as much as you grieve for the men and women you've lost you know their story has been completed. When you lose your crew due to changing commands, there is that level of uncertainty that gnaws at you every time you stop to think about them." Nisuro nodded, adding "I feel the same as you do sir." Jothej regarded his former pupil shrewdly and said "Does the fact that you'll be leaving K'siaris behind have any bearing on this?" Nisuro seemed to bristle at the insinuation and his eyes became a lighter hue of their regular colour, a clear sign of Prothean embarrassment. Jothej smiled and held up his hands to placate Nisuro. "I know you have never behaved in a manner unbefitting of a your rank towards your First. But you'd have to be as blind as a _pivras _to not notice the pheromone signatures you both give off when you're around each other." he said making reference to a small and sightless insectivore found on Vausher.

"Fraternization is punishable by capital punishment." Nisuro stated simply. Jothej snorted "You are very naive my young friend. I was commanding men and women together while you were on your back staring at the ceiling...and things are never as black and white as High Command would like to have it." He turned serious again adding "Perhaps someday if you both survive you will be able to see each other without the uniform. Damn this conflict." Nisuro straightened and said "I will have to address the crew tomorrow." He suddenly became alarmed and asked the admiral something he neglected "Who will be in command of the _Sunset?_" Jothej simply said "We have a small list of candidates that you can look over and make your recommendation if you'd like. Or if you already have someone in mind I'm willing to listen." Nisuro smiled and said "Yes sir...I believe I have a perfect successor in mind."

The crew had been recalled faster than anticipated and by mid afternoon on the following day they had gathered in the ship. Nisuro was the last to arrive, dressed in his formal armour and appearing quite dignified. Inside, he felt anything but. The bridge crew gathered in small groups and conversed among themselves as K'siaris stood at Nisuro's right hand. "Attention on deck!" the First bellowed, and the crew fell in silently and stood watching. Nisuro tapped his fingers on the omni-tool found on his right arm and opened a ship wide channel to address everyone on board the vessel. "Attention crewmembers of the _Beryl Sunset_, this is Commander Nisuro. I regret to inform you that I will no longer be in command of this vessel or her crew. The Imperium has seen fit to reassign me to other duties..assignments that must remain classified but are of vital interest to our people."

All across the bridge the sense of shock was palpable. By nature, Protheans had trained themselves to appear dispassionate and overt displays of emotion were frowned upon, particularly in the military. However, Prothean physiology would always defy cycles of conditioning as suddenly the room was filled with the evanescent filaments of pheromones that Protheans could easily sense. Beside him, he could sense K'siaris freeze in position and momentarily felt his resolve weaken. Thinking back to Jothej admonishing him to fight harder after the loss of the _Tempest_, he continued his speech."Many times in life we find ourselves at a crossroads...both you and I are at a crossroads at this moment. But know this...it has been my privilege and honour to have commanded and served with you all. We have fought together..we have bled together..and we have won and lost together. Wherever you may go, know that I am proud of each and every one of you."

Nisuro could almost hear K'siaris inaudible gulp and he turned to her in order to finish his address. It was a bittersweet moment indeed. "As of this moment, command of the _Beryl Sunset _now officially passes to K'siaris Ysavyr. I transmit your standing orders to her hands" he manipulated his omni-tool to officially transfer command over to her, as K'siaris did not even bother to hide the stunned look she wore. He continued "Serve her with the same dignity and diligence that you have shown me...For the Empire!" shouting the last words. The assembled crew saluted and shouted back "FOR THE EMPIRE!". He wordlessly begins to make his way towards his quarters, and over his shoulder he saw various crew members saluting the new commander of their vessel. Some even approached K'siaris to congratulate her personally as she just stared at Nisuro's back as he departed.

He reached his quarters and began to clear his belongings into a large sack. He stored little of personal worth in his cabin, knowing that precious items could at any time be lost forever in battle. While he had little to gather, he took his time, knowing that it would be the last time he would see the inside of the room. It took half an hour for him to complete his task and he took a deep breath as he stepped outside for the final time. He was taken aback at the sight that greeted him. Along the hallway, crewmembers stood opposite from one another against the walls. They began to bow to him as he and Jothej had bowed to Vikal, a sign of great honour and humility that Protheans showed to extraordinary individuals. It was a breach of protocol, but he could do little to stop it. He smiled and hoisted his bag as he made his way to the airlock.

More crewmembers lined the decks as he made his way, each and every one of them showing him such a significant display of deference. He saw soldiers, engineers, physicians, pilots...every occupation aboard the _Sunset _was present to bid him farewell. He did not know the names of most, and he regretted that deeply. Before long he had reached the airlock, and K'siaris stood there to meet him. _So many things left unsaid..._he thought to himself as he met her eyes. After a moment K'siaris emulated the rest of the crew before looking at Nisuro and grasping his forearms as he grasped hers. "Go with luck and fortune Nisuro Ishanrar...you will always have a home on the _Beryl Sunset_." Nisuro tightened his grip on his bag and made his way out the airlock. "And Commander.." she called after him as he looked back. "Thank you...for everything."

Nisuro could not sleep. He took a strong sedative but it could do nothing for his sleeplessness. Instead, he began to relive the highs and lows he had experienced on board the _Sunset._ He looked sideways absently as his alarm went off and he arose and put on his uniform. He had half an hour to get to his destination he reminded himself.

Despite his fatigue he hurriedly made his way to his transport, speeding through traffic as quickly as he could. Within twenty minutes he had reached his stop..the dock where the _Beryl Sunset _was moored. Several ships were berthed here, and the grounds were thick with activity as passengers were embarking and disembarking. Some people simply came to watch ships come and go, content to stare and point. Nisuro had to crane his neck to find the _Sunset_, and before long he had. Berthed at the upper left of the viewing gallery it sat, oblivious to his presence. It glinted as white as a pearl, a roughly cylindrical shape that flared out towards the aft like a diamond and tapered into a cone at the bow. The vessel was bristling with weapons. The bridge tower hovered near the aft of the ship, it's view overlooking the 300 metre vessel like a watchtower.

The ship's engines suddenly began to glow, first a pale blue and then white hot. Side thrusters adjusted the ship's vector as it slowly began to undock. Within minutes the _Beryl Sunset _had cleared its moorings and began to turn hard about. Nisuro gazed silently as it began to pick up speed, the crowds around him oblivious to what his attention was focused on. He placed the palms of his hands on his forehead and bowed deeply, mirroring his former crew from the day before. He did not know how long he held his bow, but when he looked his ship and crew were gone and he was finally alone.


	6. Exordium

**Exordium**

**15th of Okudi**

**Sceptre Nebula **

The ambient blue tunnel of the mass effect field faded abruptly as the shuttle resurfaced into normal space. Glancing out of the port observation window, Nisuro couldn't help but admire the view. The ship was currently flying past a large garnet coloured gas giant. White motes flecked the surface, sure signs of massive and violent storm cells that many gas giants displayed. To his right Jothej leaned back in his seat, languidly perusing reports. "Admiral, we have entered the system." the pilot announced, a formality but one that was always observed on Prothean military vessels. Jothej set down his datapad and answered "Understood pilot. Set course for the dwarf planet." "Aye Admiral." the pilot replied, acknowledging his orders.

As they sped past the gas giant Jothej gave Nisuro a sideways look and said "Nervous are we?" Nisuro sighed and shrugged his shoulders "I know I shouldn't be. Technically it's just another command that I've been assigned to so there's nothing remarkable about that fact. On the other hand...it's the unknowns that are making me anxious." Jothej nodded his head saying "As soldiers of the empire, we deal with unknown variables during every moment of our service. It helps to remind yourself of that from time to time." Nisuro merely looked out of the window again. He knew that the admiral was correct, but his current assignment felt truly foreign to him.

The trip from the Citadel was a relatively short journey, lasting only four hours. Nisuro spent most of it in silence, still thinking about the _Beryl Sunset _and her crew. The green recruit that he was so many cycles ago would have had cold feet by now, but he was no recruit. He was a soldier of the empire, and the empire had seen fit to charge him with tasks that fell outside the regular purview of the military hierarchy. The sorrow he felt at saying farewell to his ship and crew was slowly receding as he was finding his resolve again, more determined than ever to serve his people. _Still...I miss them all _he thought to himself.

Within minutes they performed a flyby of the garden world referred to as Haven. Modest traffic cluttered the orbit of the planet, an industrial hub whose primary market was the nearby Citadel. It was a pleasant place to visit despite the heavy presence of industry, and at times in the past Nisuro had gone there to swim or fish in the planet's expansive seas. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for another day. Haven was not their destination today as the shuttle ignored the planet and sped on towards the direction of the system's large asteroid belt. The ship began to decelerate before long as a gloomy grey planetoid hovered into view. Jothej sat up and said "Looks like our welcoming party is here."

A small vessel appeared on the far side of the planetoid, moving silently to intercept the shuttle. The ship had a similar configuration to the Sunset, although it was only 100 metres in length and lacked a bridge tower. In it's place was an elongated and convex shaped dome, the dull glow of light emanating from windows circling the perimeter. Nisuro was surprised, and exclaimed "A picket ship Admiral?" Jothej seemed amused at Nisuro's incredulousness "You were expecting a dreadnought perhaps? Don't let appearances fool you Nisuro. This is no mere picket ship." "Admiral, we are being hailed. Audio only." the pilot announced as the ship stopped dead ahead. A transmission crackled over the comm link as the pilot and passengers listened "Unmarked shuttle, identify yourself." Jothej left his seat and stood next to the pilot and answered, irritation tinging his voice "This is Admiral Jothej Tylkij of the 23rd fleet. I assume you were notified of our rendevous?" The voice on the other end remained neutral "Please transmit verification code so that we may confirm your identity."

Within moments of the pilot transmitting the code the voice responded in a more relaxed tone "Verification code accepted admiral Jothej. We apologize for the inconvenience..the _Quickening's _presence in this system is meant to be covert." "I understand...due diligence is to be commended. Please prepare for our boarding." Jothej answered diplomatically. The shuttle began an approach vector to the ship as its hangar bay began to open and Nisuro rose to flank the admiral beside the pilot. Jothej smiled as they touched down, and patted Nisuro on the back "Welcome to your new home Nisuro. Let's go meet your crew." Nisuro took a deep breath and disembarked as the shuttle door slide open.

A troop of forty Prothean soldiers stood silently in formation as Nisuro and Jothej took their first steps aboard the ship. A tall Prothean with slightly crimson eyes stood in front of the formation and thundered "ADMIRAL ON DECK!" and as one the assembled soldiers saluted. "As you were." Jothej replied and the men and women assumed their previous stance. The tall Prothean approached Jothej and Nisuro and bowed deeply before speaking. "Honoured admiral. On behalf of my company I would like to welcome you aboard the _Quickening_. I am _tra'lek _Xehtors" Jothej inclined his head and replied "I am honoured to be aboard tra'lek. But the one you should be paying your respects to is standing beside me. I would like to introduce you to your new commanding officer...Nisuro." Xehtors considered Nisuro momentarily, almost as if he was sizing him up. Xehtors bowed before Nisuro, showing him the same deference that he had shown Jothej. "It will be an honour to serve under you Commander Nisuro. Know that I and every soldier aboard this vessel will fight for you to the death." Nisuro returned the bow and replied "I have no doubt you and the rest of your company will serve with valour. Lead us to the bridge if you'd please."

Xehtors turned and dismissed the company and led the two into a hallway adjoining the hangar. As he led the way a sudden realization occurred to Nisuro. Leaning closer to Jothej he whispered "Admiral, Xehtors referred to himself as tra'lek. Is he to be my First?" Jothej shook his head "No Nisuro. Xehtors will be leading missions planetside in most situations, although that is entirely up to your discretion. As far as a First goes...well it depends on how you define a First." Nisuro looked at the admiral quizzically "How can a ship not have a First?" The left side of Jothej's mouth lifted up slightly, creasing the ugly scar as he did. "The command structure on this ship is slightly different than what you'd find in conventional military vessels. There is an individual, who we refer to as the chief operations officer. He will act as your right hand, but will not have the same duties as a First. Of course, if you decide to refer to him as your First then that is your prerogative." Nisuro could only resign himself to yet another set of differences that he needed to adapt to.

Before long they had reached the elevator and had emerged onto the bridge. For the most part the layout resembled that of the bridge of the Sunset, although it seemed much more austere to Nisuro. Banks of terminals with crew manning them lined the length of the bridge, flanking the commanding officer's chair near the middle. "ATTENTION ON DECK!" came a voice farther down the bridge as crew scrambled out of their seats and stood at attention. Nisuro craned his head to see who it was that made the announcement and was shocked to see it was a Cniusian. The lithe and nimble figure made his way to the three newcomers and bowed before the admiral and Nisuro in the manner of Protheans. Nisuro recognized the voice hailing the shuttle earlier as belong to Cniusian before them, and the feline looking creature scrutinized the three before continuing. "Welcome to the bridge of the Quickening admiral. I am chief operations officer Niamus."

Nisuro did his best to hide his shock at having Niamus as his operations officer, expecting another Prothean to be such. He had served with many non Protheans in the past, some becoming fine officers and commanders in their own right. The empire was a meritocracy in practice after all. However, Nisuro had never served with a Cniusian before and that made him apprehensive. Xenophobia against their former foes was frowned upon and denounced, but nonetheless there always seemed to be an underlying tension between the two species. The Cniusian felt humiliated and defeated when they accepted Prothean stewardship, and some Protheans still blamed the Cniusian for creating the Metacon. Nisuro didn't believe in holding grudges, but did Niamus? And would that be a source of friction between the two. Nisuro put those thoughts from his mind as he listened to Jothej.

"Good to be on board Niamus. I have to admit it's a much friendlier welcome than when we first made contact." If Niamus was feeling abashed he did not show it. "My sincerest apologies for earlier Honoured admiral. We only received word you were en route shortly before you arrived." Jothej smiled and said "Not to worry. In fact, I would have done the same thing myself. But enough of that, let's get down to business. This," he turned to Nisuro "is your new commanding officer...Nisuro Ishanrar." Niamus and the rest of the bridge crew saluted Nisuro as he stepped forward. He looked over the faces of the bridge, gauging the men and women who would serve under him. Most were Prothean, although he did see the odd Tulamorian or Krylc..there was even a Vanksher among their ranks. After a moment Nisuro broke the silence "I look forward to serving with all you. Carry on with your duties."

Jothej grinned at Nisuro "Not much for grand and inspired speeches today either are we?" and Nisuro couldn't help but smile in turn. He focused his attention back to Niamus and asked politely "How long have you served the imperium Niamus?" Niamus seemed to stiffen slightly but answered cordially "I have served for over fifteen cycles Honoured Commander. I have specialized in tactical analysis, logistics and electronic warfare…" Nisuro smiled and held up his hand "No need to recite your service record Niamus. I am confident in your ability to fulfill your role." The Cniusian bowed his head and remained silent and Nisuro wondered if he had given offence rather than an honest attempt at small talk. At times Cniusians could be unreadable.

"Niamus, would you care to explain the special ability this ship has?" Jothej interjected himself into the awkward silence that followed. Niamus smiled genuinely and replied "Of course Honoured Admiral. This is one of several ships allocated to the Echelon that has a prototype cloaking device ." Nisuro perked his head listening intently as the Cniusian explained how it worked. "Upon activation of the cloak, an invisible field envelopes the Quickening trapping energy emissions, including photons, within the bubble. The ship will remain undetectable to both scans and visual confirmation for the duration of the cloak. Unfortunately the cloak cannot be active for more than an hour at a time. First the energy requirements for the cloak are extremely prohibitive...you would need another mass effect core to feed it enough energy to remain active for an extended period. Secondly, the trapped radiation will eventually need to be dissipated before it begins to cook us inside the ship."

"Protheans would theoretically be able withstand irradiation for approximately half an hour longer than non Prothean crew members." a voice from beside the commander's chair intoned emotionlessly. Nisuro and Jothej spun around to see a Prothean figure composed of nothing but light, an avatar of a VI. "What's this?" Jothej eyes narrowed as he examined the construct. Niamus seemed amused as he answered "This is Venture. It might be better if I let him explain himself." On cue, the VI responded methodically. "I am Venture, a virtual intelligence based aboard the Prothean picket ship the Quickening. My knowledge base includes extensive cognizance of a multitude of subjects that includes the mass relay network, galactic topography, xenobiology, linguistics, cultural norms as well as mating habits of…" Nisuro snickered and Jothej held up his hands to silence the VI "All right...we understand. You're a veritable encyclopedia." The admiral looked at Niamus who shrugged helplessly and said "Venture is a bit...quirky. However, as hard as it may be to believe it does possess useful information..most of the time. Think of it as an adjunct advisor if you will." Jothej merely glared at the VI while Niamus dismissed it "Thank you Venture, that will be all for now" and without a word it winked out of existence.

"Well, it seems my job here is finished." Jothej said as he turned to Nisuro. Nisuro nodded, "I'll accompany you down to the shuttle." Turning to both Niamus and Xehtors and dismissed them both before escorting the admiral to the elevator. "So what's next for you admiral? Are you deploying the 23rd soon?" Jothej sighed. "Not right away at least. I'd like to climb the ice canals of Judor IV before going back out on the field. Haven't been there in cycles and who knows...I might not ever get another chance to do it again." Judor IV hosted some of the deepest and steepest glacial crevasses ever discovered, and many Protheans journeyed there to test themselves both physically and mentally as they traversed them. Nisuro himself had gone there twice, and both times he had wondered how he made it back in one piece.

The two entered the hangar as the pilot waited outside the shuttle with Nisuro's belongings. Handing the two large sacks to Nisuro, he bowed silently to the two and made his way back into the ship. Jothej looked deeply into Nisuro's eyes. "You're doing important work here Nisuro, never forget that. While you might not be out there blasting Metacon into oblivion every mission you undertake here for the Echelon maintains the stability of the empire. I'm proud of you..as you should be of yourself." Nisuro bowed and replied "I never would have made it this far without your guidance admiral. Thank you for believing in me." Jothej gave him one last smile and entered the shuttle and Nisuro made his way to the observation deck above. The hangar doors boomed open and the shuttle reversed itself, blasting off into the void beyond as Nisuro looked on.

A beeping on his omni-tool roused Nisuro from his thoughts. It was Niamus. Still believing that they had started out on the wrong foot he answered immediately. "Yes Firs...I'm sorry Niamus. What is it?" Niamus answered in a slightly clipped tone "Commander, the admiral's shuttle has cleared the asteroid belt. Do you have a course or destination plotted for us?" Nisuro wasn't even sure he had a course plotted for himself let alone the ship. "For now keep a holding pattern behind the far side of the planetoid. I have some settling in to do first." "Acknowledged commander, holding orbit." Niamus replied.

Nisuro made his way to his quarters, a large suite that was located in the hall leading to the bridge. The room was empty save for the bed and furniture that were waiting for him. "Blank slate," Nisuro muttered to himself as he began the task of unpacking his personal items. Within twenty minutes he was unpacked, but still wasn't ready to go back to the bridge. Instead, he flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes momentarily. And in spite of himself, he welcomed the sweet sleep that inevitably came.

**Author's note: In case you may have missed it, Haven during the Prothean era is later renamed Bekenstein during the events of Mass Effect. :)**


	7. Mimic

**Mimic**

**7th of Hjidsa**

**Year 9292**

**Jontil system**

**Rikva cluster**

The _Quickening _came hurtling into normal space in mere moments, the mass relay having propelled the ship thousands of light years in the blink of an eye. Nisuro tapped his fingers gently along the armrest of his seat, surveying the bridge like a bird of prey. "Status report." he said simply as Niamus stood to his left and began tapping on his omni-tool. Within seconds the Cniusian began relaying the information he was receiving from the various bridge stations. "Drift from relay...2500 km. Antiproton drive engaged and operating within normal parameters. Navigation is standing by and awaiting a destination." Examining a holo projection of the system they had entered Nisuro gave his orders "Plot a course for the second planet and inform the planetary authorities of our arrival." Niamus nodded his head once and began to manipulate his omni-tool further. "Course plotted and set. ETA in half an hour" Nisuro looked up at Niamus and replied "Thank you Niamus, that will be all." as the operations officer bowed his head and moved to his terminal.

The last month had become more of an extended inspection than a resumption of regular duty for the crew. Nisuro wanted to test his new ship and her people, running constant drills involving numerous scenarios that would likely be encountered by the crew. He was impressed with what he witnessed from his subordinates. In every instance they had performed with little to no direction on his part, operating as a cohesive unit rather than individuals pulling in different directions. In a way it made perfect sense to Nisuro...why man an Echelon vessel with nothing but the cream of the crop? Errors could and would be made along the way, no doubt, but he was confident he was given the right people to minimize those situations. He hated to compare them to his former crew, but he had to admit that in many respects their performance thus far was superior to anything he had seen before. Niamus in particular had been a study in cool and methodical efficiency. While the relationship between the officer and his superior had remained detached since their first meeting Nisuro had come to respect the Cniusian and his attention to detail. They may not become friends, but they could certainly work together towards a common goal.

A low hum at Nisuro's right hand interrupted his thoughts. It was his personal herald, a communication device that used quantum entanglement to allow real time communication over vast distances. He activated it and a small image of Vikael materialized. "Honoured avatar, it's a pleasure to speak to you again." Nisuro said, promptly greeting the avatar. "Well met commander Nisuro. I understand you have just jumped into the Jontil system as per your orders correct?" Nisuro nodded and replied "Yes your Honour. I await your instructions sir." "Very good then." Vikael stated before continuing. "Our colony on Jontil-2 is relatively young but it has been been prospering due to the heavy mining occurring within the system. Recently the expansion of the colony has halted due to what authorities are calling an anomaly. I've reviewed the facts presented and I suspect a form of biological warfare might be being employed on the colonists." Nisuro clenched his jaw as he processed what he was told. "That is alarming," Nisuro said. "Do you believe that the Metacon are somehow testing biological weapons on the colony?" Vikael paused a moment before answering "They have used biological agents in the past against organics before so it's not unfeasible. However, if this is some kind of new biological weapon they have developed it's the most sophisticated one we've ever encountered. Your mission is to investigate and if needs be destroy whatever this is before it poses a significant threat to the colony." Nisuro spoke "Understood your Honour." Vikael continued "I know this is your first official assignment for the Echelon and that you will act in the best interest of the empire in this affair. I have every confidence in your ability to do so. Viakel out." and with that image of the avatar disappeared.

"Venture," Nisuro snapped suddenly and the VI appeared at his right shoulder. "Yes Commander Nisuro, how may I be of service?" the construct replied mechanically. "Give me a general summary of the current system. I want to know what I'm dealing with here." and Venture responded without hesitation. "Of course Commander. Jontil was liberated from Metacon control approximately 150 cycles ago. The system was recognized as having abundant mineral resources on Jontil-4 as well as possessing copious pockets of helium-3 on the gas giant Jontil-4. The main colony of Jontil-2 serves as the refining and administrative centre of the system, exhibiting a population growth rate of 7% per cycle. Since being founded 100 cycles ago, the colony's infrastructure has rapidly expanded and now covers almost two thirds of the planet's surface. The current governor is a former Prothean industrialist by the name of Dejsal Iyrilsa." Nisuro listened intently until the VI finished its monologue. "That will be all VI," Nisuro said finally dismissing Venture.

"Sir, we have reached Jontil-2 and are beginning our approach vector" Niamus pronounced from his station. "Very good," Nisuro replied as he felt the telltale rumble of the ship descending. Looking out the bridge windows he began to see the spires of huge arcologies splitting the cloud cover of the stratosphere like pointed blades being held aloft. They were not alone as other ships also filled the sky, some ascending to space above while others mirrored the _Quickening_'s descent to the surface. Within several minutes the ship had maneuvered into a busy port and had begun final docking procedures. "Commander Nisuro, we have berthed and are awaiting your orders." Niamus said simply and standing at attention. Nisuro rose from his seat and stretched slightly "Well done everyone." he remarked. Turning to Niamus he said "I imagine we have a welcoming committee waiting outside." Niamus nodded "Governor Dejsal has decided to personally greet us himself. He's awaiting you on the dock." Nisuro looked at Niamus before making his way to the airlock. "I'd like you to accompany me Niamus. Having a second perspective wouldn't hurt matters. Also, notify Xehtors and have him standby with a small detail to the dock. You never know if we might need him around." Nisuro wasn't entirely sure, but he thought Niamus seemed pleased. "Yes Commander Nisuro." he said simply. Nisuro sighed and said "Well, why don't we get down to the bottom of this."

"Would you care for some _greff _Commander Nisuro?" Dejsal asked of his guest as the small party entered his office. "No thank you governor, I'd prefer to get underway if you don't mind." Nisuro said holding up his hand. The short statured Prothean inclined his head slightly and took a seat, folding his hands on his desk. "I imagine you have many questions that you would like answered. Although I must admit that I do not yet have all the answers you may be seeking." Nisuro merely nodded his head "I understand. Part of the reason why we are here is to fill in those blanks." The door to the governor's office slid open and a Prothean entered the room, and took a position standing to Dejsal's right. "Ah...Centyas, you're finally here." he said to the burly figure before turning his attention back to his guests. "Centyas is my chief of security and responsible for the command of the planetary militia." the governor explained as Centyas bowed his head to Nisuro and said simply "Honoured Commander."

"How long have you been administering this colony governor Dejsal?" Nisuro said, beginning his questioning. Dejsal leaned back in his chair and smiled proudly "Close to 30 cycles now. I came to this system shortly after the liberation and got my start as just another prospector staking a claim. Turned out to be a very valuable one over time, so much so that I was able to begin my own small mining outfit. I was eventually bought out by a large corporation, though by then I had amassed quite a bit of wealth." Out of the corner of his outermost eye Nisuro noticed that Niamus was fiddling with his omni-tool, no doubt recording the conversation and scouring for any information he could regarding the planet. Dejsal continued without seeming to notice "I've been elected to six consecutive terms by the people of Jontil-2. I look at it as a way of giving back to those who have made this world the thriving success it has become." _Or simply another way to line your pocket _Nisuro thought to himself caustically.

"When did these "anomalies" begin to manifest?" questioned Nisuro, scrutinizing the governor's face carefully. Dejsal seemed to slump slightly as the subject changed. "It began two weeks ago. A fifty strong survey team was dispatched to an area of proposed development we call segment 23. The team's initial reports were promising, but after the second week they stopped reporting in." Nisuro glanced to his side and Niamus returned his look. "Did you send a search party to this area?" the commander asked. Dejsal nodded helplessly. "We sent an air unit to scour the area. We found the survey camp but no trace of the team." Centyas spoke, breaking his silence. Nisuro looked at the security chief intently saying "You didn't send in a patrol the check the area on foot?" Centyas shook his head matter of factly "I saw no practical reason to. Segment 23 is an open plain, and there's nowhere to hide for kilometres. The only other feature in that area is an extensive system of caves, and the team would have no reason to enter them." _Careless _Nisuro remarked mentally. "Can you give me the coordinates for that cave system? I'd like to have some of my men scout them if you wouldn't mind." he asked Centyas. The security chief seemed to hesitate before handing Nisuro a datapad with the topographical information. He opened a comlink to Xehtors, who was waiting with ten of his men on the docking bay. "Xehtors, this is Commander Nisuro. I'm relaying a set of coordinates for you and your men to recon. See if you can find any trace of a survey team that went missing recently." Xehtors answered within seconds"Yes honoured Commander, we will head there immediately. Xehtors out."

"I believe a recent discovery may be linked to our missing surveyors" Dejsal interjected. Nisuro looked squarely at Dejsal. "And what discovery might that be governor?" Following a brief pause and a look at his chief of security Dejsal stood up and said "It might just be better to show you what I mean." As the commander stood he looked at both men and asked. "I just have one last question to ask. Have you encountered any Metacon...either planetside or anywhere else in the system?" Desjal shook his head emphatically, saying "Not a single trace of Metacon presence was left after they were driven off Commander. I would stake everything I have on that." The security chief seemed to bristle as he spoke. "There is no way the Metacon could enter the system without alerting us Commander. Our detection network is one of the most sophisticated found in the Girdle." Nisuro was inclined to believe the two, but he still needed to make sure to eliminate the possibility, as remote as it may seem. "Please...show us what you have found then." Nisuro said finally as they left the office.

Nisuro and Niamus just stared at the figure lying silently on the table. "How long have you had this thing here?" the commander said as he began to pace around the table. "It's been about four days. A security patrol encountered it on the outskirts of District 15, just hunched over on itself. When one of the security personnel approached it became aggressive and vomited a stream of acid. Luckily they downed it before it could do any more damage." Centyas explained. Nisuro gave him a sharp look and said "Did you take the proper precautions? The last thing you want is a possible pandemic on your hands." This time it was the governor who spoke "We followed standard procedures Commander Nisuro. We held the patrol in quarantine for observation and ran a battery of tests on them. No infectious agents present. We also tested this body as well...it's all clear." Nisuro still did not like the fact that he was standing only a metre from it. "It's quite dead sir. My men saw to that personally." Centyas said.

The cadaver resting on the stainless steel table was Prothean. Or would have been a Prothean if not for key differences. The first obvious aberration was the fact that it was a deep ash colour, since even in death Protheans held some kind of colouring to their skin. The second divergence was the fact that it had no eyes. There were the four sockets where the eyes would have been, but there was nothing inside those empty orbits. Nisuro glanced at the hands, which were not hands but claws instead. He looked at the chest, which was caved in with the impact of blaster rifles, and could find no trace of any internal organs or even blood. "There is no way this can be a Prothean," Nisuro muttered to himself as Niamus began scanning the body with his omni-tool. Nisuro's communicator began to hum and he opened the comlink. "Situation report Xehtors." he answered, still examining the demi Prothean. "Honoured Commander, we finished examining the survey site and have entered the cavern systems. No trace of the missing survey team so far...it's like they simply vanished. These caves are incredibly huge sir. You could hide a small army in here if you needed to." "Good job Xehtors," Nisuro replied "keep examining the caves but don't go in too far. There's no telling how deep they go." "Yes sir. I'll inform you if the situation changes...Xehtors out."

"Well, I believe we can rule out the Metacon as the source of our friend here." Niamus announced as the three Protheans turned to face him. He continued, oblivious to the attention he was receiving. "It's a rudimentary facsimile of a Prothean, no indication of organs or a circulatory system. Definitely organic though and interestingly enough non-animal." "What do you mean by non-animal Niamus?" Nisuro interrupted. The Cniusian kept his eyes on his omni-tool, explaining further as he ran his left hand through the lush chestnut mane that surrounded his head and neck. "This copy, for lack of a better word, is showing traces of phytosterols throughout its body. Very subtle traces...even sophisticated medical scanners could easily overlook them. But they show an uncanny similarity to what you would find in vegetation throughout the galaxy." "So what you are saying," Desjal said slowly and incredulously "is that this is a plant?" Niamus seemed irritated at this point, as if he was the only one in the room who could grasp the obvious point. "No governor Desjal..not an actual plant but plant derived. Whatever produced this thing took the physiology of a Prothean as a blueprint and crafted something entirely different from the original. My theory is that the survey team may have served as the unwitting samples."

It was a hard thought to wrap Nisuro's mind around. He came to this planet expecting the worst..a possible Metacon scheme involving biological warfare on the populace. But this seemed like something entirely alien to him. _Plants that could mimic Protheans_? he asked himself, not ready to accept that something so bizarre might be happening here. He looked over to see Centyas take a call on his communicator, moving away from the group and speaking quietly to whoever he was addressing. Desjal looked uncomfortable, as if he suddenly needed some fresh air. "You found him? Where?" Centyas' voice blared as the others looked at him. Noticing the attention that his outburst caused, he lowered his tone. "No..hold him at the depot. I will be there shortly to interrogate him. Centyas out." Heading back to the others and seemingly pleased with himself he said "We found one of the surveyors. He was heading through District 15 where my people found and detained him." "Was he alone?" Nisuro asked and the security chief nodded. "Yes, alone and unharmed it seems. I suggest we make our way to the base he's being held at and begin our inquiry immediately." "Agreed," Nisuro replied heading towards the door "the sooner we interview this man the sooner we'll get some answers about what's happening on this planet." As they left the examination room the lights flickered off, leaving the creature in total darkness.


	8. Thorian

**Thorian**

The figure sat with his arms on the table, fingers fidgeting nervously and eyes darting around the otherwise austere and empty room. He knew he was being watched, but not by whom. Behind the one way mirror, Nisuro was carefully observing the anxious Prothean, trying to read his body language behind a physical barrier. "What do we know of this man?" Nisuro asked, turning his head towards Dejsal and Centyas. The governor answered for the both of them, looking at the man all the while. "His name is Rylarj. He's the best damn surveyor on the planet and hand picked by me to lead the expedition to segment 23. This...doesn't seem at all like him Commander." "In what way Governor?" Nisuro replied as Rylarj stood and began pacing inside the interrogation chamber. Dejsal took a moment before answering. "He's a cocky bastard, always so sure of himself. And he always has a contingency plan. In the fifteen cycles I've known him I've never seen him fazed by anything, and here he is...looking like a trapped animal of some kind." "Commander," Centyas broke in, "if I may begin?" Nisuro nodded to the security chief, "Proceed then."

Centyas entered the interrogation room and Rylarj stopped abruptly and regarded the larger man suspiciously. "Greetings Rylarj," Centyas said politely "how have you been?" Rylarj began to rub his hands anxiously, his head ticcing slightly as he answered irritably. "I've been well chief Centyas but I'm puzzled as to the reason I'm being held here." Centyas raised his hands and began to object, "You are not being held Rylarj. We just need to ask you a few questions about your latest survey. Come...take a seat and we'll be done in no time." It took several moments before the surveyor took his seat across from Centyas, regarding his inquisitor warily. "Can you tell me where you and your team have been for the last two weeks?" Centyas asked, gazing intently at the man sitting before him. Rylarj took a deep pause before answering, "I dismissed my team from the site several days ago, and I have been at my domicile since that time, preparing my formal assessment for Segment 23." As an afterthought he added, "I found it to be a poor location for further expansion if you want my informal opinion." The security chief nodded noncommittally, launching into another question. "We tried several times to contact your team but there was no response at all. Why was that?" The surveyor seemed to be taken aback before answering "That area is subject to frequent and intense sandstorms that interfere with communication. It's just one of the reasons why that place in unsuitable for development."

"None of this makes a damn bit of sense." Dejsal muttered to the commander and Niamus in the adjacent room. The outsiders looked at the governor as he continued his explanation. "Rylarj is a martinet when it comes to following proper procedures. Simply disbanding his team and creating a formal assessment on his own is unheard of...especially considering it's him we are dealing with. And storms? What in the twenty hells is that about? The Rylarj we sent out to Segment 23 would have maintained contact with us by any means necessary." "So what you are saying then," Niamus observed, "is that this behaviour he is exhibiting is completely erratic?" Dejsal snapped "That is exactly what I'm saying officer Niamus. It just doesn't make sense." "I may be wrong," Nisuro interjected, "but it appears like he's in some sort of pain." Niamus tilted his head and watched the surveyor's movements, his golden eyes forming into slits and fixated on the Prothean. "It appears you may be correct Commander Nisuro. But what is the source of the pain stimuli?" the Cniusian noted, leaving the question unanswered.

"You seem to be in discomfort Rylarj. Do you wish to see a medic?" Centyas asked, as if he had just overheard the conversation occurring on the other side of the wall. The surveyor shook his head, wincing as he shifted in his seat. "It's nothing really chief, it's just chafing from the storms we weathered out there. It feels like I've just been running through a forest and the trees are riddled with thorns. I'll be fine." Centyas seemed satisfied with that explanation and continued his questioning. "Where are the other members of your team at this time?" he asked in a neutral tone of voice. Rylarj stared blankly at Centyas, appearing dead still and quiet. "Rylarj?" Centyas asked again and the surveyor snapped back to attention. "The team...oh yes. Most of them went off world immediately following the assignment since they were here on a contract basis. Yes...they are not on the planet at this time." Centyas' mouth tightened in consternation, his scepticism beginning to seep through. "And can you provide contact information for at least one of these individuals?" "No sir, I am afraid I cannot," Rylarj replied sternly, his face beginning to tighten again. "I'm sorry, but I cannot be bothered with keeping track of where my subordinates are at every moment." he added, his tone beginning to soften again.

Centyas sighed and stood, looking back at the observation room before turning to face Rylarj once again. "I'm going to be blunt with you Rylarj. None of what you have told me here makes sense. From everything we know you were first seen hours ago in District 15, a place that isn't even near your home. Secondly, the camp that you set up was abandoned...as if you and your team didn't even bother to haul your equipment back with you. And thirdly, we have never detected any significant sandstorms forming in that area during your tenure there. So," Centyas rested his fists on the table and towered above the seated man, "what exactly happened out there?" The surveyor's hung his head, his eyes averted, offering nothing but silence as his answer. "There is one way we can learn the truth Rylarj, and I would much rather not have to force it upon you." Several silent minutes passed before Rylarj stood and spoke. "Very well chief Centyas...you may proceed." he said in resigned tone of voice. "Thank you Rylarj...this is the right thing to do." Centyas said as he joined his hands met those of the surveyor. For a brief time they were still, locked in the embrace of memory. Suddenly, both men began to shudder and within seconds fell to the ground.

The three men behind the mirror burst into the room. Rylarj was still convulsing, foam forming at the sides of his mouth. Centyas seemed shaken and unsteady, but in much better condition than the man he linked minds with. "I need a medic in interrogation room 312-b...immediately!" Dejsal bellowed into his communicator as Niamus knelt by Rylarj and attempted to stop his convulsions. Nisuro went over to the chief of security, offering his hand which he took reluctantly. "Are you alright Centyas?" Nisuro asked as he steadied the other man. "I'm a bit shaken up but I'll be fine commander." Centyas replied as he laid the palm of his hand on his forehead. "Commander...I saw nothing." Centyas said as he stared at the commander. Nisuro's mouth furrowed in dismay as the security chief continued. "I saw everything up until the team arrived at Segment 23. And then..nothing but a flash and here we are. It's as if the man is missing time." "I've never heard of anything like this happening to a Prothean before. What can tear a man's memories from his mind like that?" Nisuro wondered aloud. "Commander Nisuro," Niamus called from the floor "I have administered an anticonvulsant to Rylarj and he seems to have stabilized. He will be unconscious for some time though." "Good work Niamus." Nisuro said, contemplating the unknown variable in all this.

He had little time to think as his communicator began to rouse him. On the other end of the link was the voice of Xehtors. "Honoured Commander, we've penetrated deeper into the cave system and we found some members of the survey team." _Finally...the first bit of good news since arriving on this planet _Nisuro told himself. "What is their condition Xehtors?" he asked, eager to learn their status. "They are unconscious but still alive. Their vitals are very lethargic though..almost as if they seem to be hibernating. Wait a minute…" Xehtors trailed off as Nisuro listened intently. "Xehtors," Nisuro said as he waited for a response. "Yes Commander, still here. We are pushing in deeper and I think I see something. It looks like a Prothean...yet it's skin is a deep grey." Warning bells went off inside Nisuro's head when he heard what was said. "Xehtors...those things are hostile. Do not go any further...I repeat...do not go any further." He knew he was too late in his warning since the sound of blaster fire began filtering over the comm link. "Commander," Xehtors yelled breathlessly over the link "these things are attacking us! Dozens of them...coming from everywhere. What….the surveyors are joining in the attack as well! We're being pushed farther into the interior." "Xehtors? XEHTORS?" Nisuro yelled into his link futilely as the sound of fire filtered over the channel. In minutes Xehtors voice broke out again, his distress apparent as he was shouting out orders. "We're in a massive central lava tube right now. They keep coming out of nowhere. Holding the line...what...what is that thing?" those were his last words as the room was suddenly filled with the sound of white noise.

Nisuro felt his eyes adjust to the haze inside the caves, moving warily with his sidearm drawn and his head darting around, scanning for every possible angle of attack. At his back were thirty soldiers, a contingent drawn from the ranks of the planetary defence force. Among their ranks was Centyas, who had agreed to supply troops for the expedition to the caves on the condition of accompanying Nisuro. To his right was Niamus, assiduously running scans while surveying the murkiness before them. "How far in are we?" Nisuro asked Niamus softly. Niamus manipulated his omni-tool, looking forward again before answering. "We are 2 kilometres in. If my calculations are correct, Xehtor's comm signal terminated approximately 900 metres further ahead." Nisuro nodded, and turned back to Centyas. "Are you and your men prepared?" Centyas nodded his head gravely "I have brought along some of the best, including several biotics as well as an engineer. We're ready for anything that can be thrown at us." "Good. I expect the best of them if we're involved in a fight." Nisuro said. One of the other conditions that the security chief had insisted on was minimizing the civilian casualties, something that Nisuro agreed to in principle but realistically could not promise.

"Commander?" Niamus said stopping in mid stride, "May I have a word with you?" Nisuro moved closer to the Cniusian "Centyas, have your men rest for a moment. Niamus, what is it?" Niamus looked up from his omni-tool and looked at the other Protheans before speaking. "I believe I can offer a partial explanation for the actions of Rylarj back at the base." "Explain then," Nisuro said as leaned his head forward. "I've detected microscopic spores in the air, both at the survey site and here in these caves. My theory is that these spores infect a host and act as a medium of control over the victim." Nisuro seemed perplexed, "And why do you think these spores are responsible for the surveyor's actions?" "Because I ran a neural test on Rylarj as I was stabilizing him." Niamus answered bluntly. Nisuro's face darkened. He was annoyed with the fact that the Cniusian did not inform him of his tests, instead keeping that information to himself until now. "And why did you not bother to tell me this at the time Niamus?" The Cniusian looked at Nisuro impassively "You did not ask me if I did Honoured Commander and I felt it was prudent at the time." he said matter of factly as he resumed reading his omni-tool again.

"These spores seem to attach themselves to the neurons in the central nervous system, influencing the behaviour of the subject, possibly acting as a medium to relay commands. It would also explain the reason why the members of the survey team attacked Xehtors and his men, though I cannot be sure until I verify with another surveyor." Nisuro forgot his anger momentarily, suddenly alarmed at the implications. "Are we in any danger of exposure?" "No," Niamus answered "I do not think so. The central nervous system needs to be saturated with millions of these spores to begin to take effect. We are looking at a time frame of several days or even weeks of exposure." "Then the question remains," Nisuro added "what is releasing the spores?" The Cniusian looked around uneasily as he answered. "I'm afraid we will be finding that out shortly Honoured Commander." Nisuro scowled as he returned to the other Protheans. "Let's continue on." he said flatly as they all continued deeper into the gloom.

The company pressed further into the recesses of the caves, and the Protheans found the visibility decreasing significantly in the musty atmosphere. Lights began to flicker on their weapons as they moved silently through the darkness though Niamus did not require any lighting as Cniusians had superior night vision. He stopped abruptly, and Nisuro and the rest of the troop halted as well. "We are not alone here." he said simply. With no warning a Prothean bolted out of the darkness and rushed towards Nisuro, a large metal rod held overhead. Nisuro had little time to react as he tried to wheel out of the way of the blunt object. Niamus aimed a well placed blow with the butt of his rifle to the side of the attacker's head, collapsing the figure instantaneously. More Protheans flooded into the tunnel, and the soldiers took offensive postures to meet them. "INCAPACITATE THEM ONLY!" shouted Centyas as his soldiers shifted into close quarters combat. Nisuro saw stasis and pull fields light up around him, effective methods for biotics to subdue opponents. Since the controlled Protheans were attacking with only their hands and crude implements, the battle was over within minutes.

"What's our status Centyas," Nisuro panted as he began to regain his breath. Centyas supported himself against a wall and did a quick head count. "We're all accounted for Commander. It doesn't look like any of the men sustained serious injuries. If the survey team was armed..it would be a different matter." "Indeed, we are fortunate," Nisuro replied as he caught sight of Niamus kneeling by a surveyor. He moved closer to the operations officer and took a knee beside him. "Well," he whispered "Does your theory hold Niamus?" The Cniusian was silent for a moment, looking over the data in his omni-tool. "Yes Honoured Commander, I have verified that the survey team was also infected with the same spores found in Rylarj. Now all we need is to find the source. If we find that, then perhaps we can neutralize the spores." Nisuro stood, brushing dirt from his leggings. "Good work Niamus." he said quietly. It was still irksome that Niamus did not mention his discovery earlier Nisuro had to admit that if he didn't run those scans on Rylarj they would be missing a vital link to the whole affair. Niamus simply inclined his head, closing his omni-tool and standing to rejoin the rest of the company.

There was a sudden and guttural noise that filled the air around them. "More colonists?" Centyas exclaimed. "No," Niamus replied "it's one of those creatures that we examined earlier. I can see them as clear as day..and they are approaching." He readied his weapon and soon the Protheans followed suite. "Shoot to kill these things..they are not one of us." Centyas said, raising his voice as the sounds grew louder. Niamus took aim, opened fire and was rewarded with the sound of something in the distance splattering. "Niamus, how much further is it until we reach the termination point of Xehtor's comm link?" Nisuro asked urgently and lighting a flare to illuminate the area. "Only 100 metres more," came the reply as Niamus pointed to the right, "in that direction." Several of the mimics shambled into view, the light from the flare giving their eyeless faces a lurid hue. Shots rang out as the soldiers opened fire, splintering the cadavers like rotten fruit. "You heard the man," Centyas roared between shots from his rifle "double time it now." The company took off at a dead run, firing their weapons at the mimics as they made their way to their destination. Ahead of them the narrow tunnel began to open up into a gigantic central nexus. The atmosphere was extraordinarily musty, and Nisuro had to force himself to not retch as he breathed in the air. "Centyas," Nisuro yelled "get some of your biotics to stand as barriers at the entrance, and let that serve as a chokepoint. I don't want any of those things flooding through there." Centyas relayed the commands to three biotics and they turned to face their pursuers. In seconds the barriers lit up and the creatures collided with them, exploding on contact. "Commander," Niamus said with a chill in his voice "I think we have found our source."

Nisuro turned and his mouth fell open, both in awe and revulsion at the same time. At the very centre of the cavern was a massive creature that resembled a gigantic and gnarled tree. Huge tendrils sprung from the main body, disappearing both high up into the upper reaches of the cave and deep underground. The most shocking aspect of the being was what vaguely looked like a face with what appeared to be a mouth that ended in thick vines. "Commander...look around you." Niamus said, pointing to the ground. More surveyors littered the dirt of the cave, and Nisuro spotted his men from the _Quickening_. He did a quick check and could only find one missing...Xehtors. Niamus ran his omni-tool over the area, covering as much space as he could. "This is definitely a plant based organism Honoured Commander." Nisuro announced briefly. "A plant?" Centyas replied incredulously, shaking his head. "You mean to say that a vegetable is causing all this havoc?" Nisuro added, also sounding unconvinced. Niamus looked at both Protheans evenly. "Precisely. This is a form of life that has never before been encountered by any known spacefaring species."

Without warning the vines that dangled from the creature's cavity began to shudder. Liquid began frothing from the opening as a pitch black boot appeared in sight. In moments a figure had been regurgitated from the organism, kneeling prone with its head downcast and then rising to it's full height. It was Xehtors. The eyes of every soldier in the room were riveted on Xehtors, slime dripping from his body to end up in a puddle at his feet. Even Niamus was at a loss for words, his fur beginning to rise and his ears pulled back towards his head. Nisuro took a step forward, his sidearm lowered. "Tra'lek Xehtors..can you hear me?" There was an emptiness in his eyes, sunken pits of cold that regarded the company with antipathy. "Interlopers. You trespass upon the refuge of the Thorian. It commands your reverence." The voice belonged to Xehtors, but the words were not his. Nisuro took another step towards the tra'lek, his gun pointed at his subordinate. "Xehtors...if you are still in there somewhere..give us a sign." Xehtors replied with an eerie stare and silence. "Commander..I think it's futile to reason with him. He is directly linked to this thing somehow. We are not talking to Xehtors but the Thorian. This creature is sentient." Niamus said, joining the Commander to his left. _A sentient plant? _Nisuro thought to himself, dumbfounded at the revelation. "A thousand feelers touch and sense you. You are all meat..fit for nothing but to serve my whim or to rot in the dirt." Xehtors spoke again, his words filling Nisuro's mind with horror.

Several members of the survey team began to stir, rising slowly from the ground they laid on. Xehtors suddenly threw a lift field at one of the members of the company, the man hovering several metres above the ground before crashing down. Within seconds, chaos ruled within the cavern. Shouts and blaster fire filled the air as the company struggled to survive the onslaught. The low growls of the mimics began to be heard again, their forms swarming in from around the Thorian. Nisuro emptied a clip into the head of a charging mimic while weaving and ducking an attacking surveyor. He ducked and grabbed the Prothean's right arm with his left before landing an uppercut to his jaw with his gun. "COMMANDER," Niamus shouted, "CONCENTRATE YOUR FIRE ON THOSE OVAL NODES YOU SEE ALONG THE TENDRILS!" Nisuro took aim at a node and fired, and the thorian seemed to tremble. He noticed that the attackers slowed in their attack, as if suddenly winded. The others noticed this and in between engaging hostiles began to shoot at any nodes they could see. The attackers began to convulse, and before long both survey team and mimics fell to the ground like ragged toys. Nisuro shot at one more node directly above the thorian's face and finally Xehtors collapsed onto the ground, writhing violently before lying dead still.

"Commander," Niamus wheezed as he keyed in his omni-tool "the Thorian is still alive. We have crippled it, but it is only a matter of time before it re-establishes links with those nodes." "Well now is the time to finish it off then." snarled Centyas, rifle drawn and pointed straight at the creature. The sudden flash of intuition that had served Nisuro so many times before burst in his head like a nova. "Stand down Centyas," he called "Engineer, set up a class 9 containment field around the Thorian." The engineer hesitated, clearly confused as to whose orders he should be following. "What? You want to keep this thing alive...knowing what a threat it poses to the colony? You can't be serious!" Centyas shouted. "We're keeping it in stasis," Nisuro corrected him calmly "if we sever the brain from the rest of the nervous system the Thorian will remain inert." "Need I remind you that these are my troops and my operation...Commander Nisuro" Centyas spat out the last words like a curse. Nisuro's eyes narrowed and his voice took a dangerous tone. "And need I remind you chief Centyas that I am here on the official business of the Avatar Conclave." The security chief's jaw clenched tightly and pure fire raged in his eyes. For a tense minute it seemed like both men would open fire on each other.

"Engineer," Centyas snapped "do as he says and set up a containment field." He glared at Nisuro, adding in a low voice "Governor Dejsal will be hearing about this incident." "I have no doubt he will." Nisuro replied, meeting his gaze. Centyas turned to confer with the rest of his men while Nisuro walked over to Niamus. He was hunched over the body of one the soldiers from the _Quickening_, running scans and examining the man. He glanced up at Nisuro. "These ones should make a full recovery. Thankfully they were only in the initial stages of the spore saturation so they have only absorbed a small amount." "And what of Xehtors," Nisuro said, moving over to be beside the still figure. Niamus looked at Nisuro and shook his head sadly. "Xehtors was directly linked to the Thorian. When we crippled it we severed the link so abruptly that it completely destroyed his central nervous system. I'm sorry." Nisuro's hung his head and bowed towards the body as the glow of the silver sphere of the containment field enveloped the Thorian. "May you have a serene journey tra'lek Xehtors. Thank you for your service." he whispered. After pausing for several minutes to reflect he spoke to Niamus. "Get some medics down here and get our people back to the _Quickening_." "Aye Honoured Commander," Niamus replied. "Niamus," Nisuro said as he turned back to face the Cniusian, "you've performed admirably today. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." Niamus bowed as the commander began walking to the exit of the caves.

The _Quickening _hung in high orbit over Jontil-2 and Nisuro had retired to his quarters. He was beginning to read crew reports when his herald device chimed. He slid his finger over it and the image of Vikal sprung to life. "Greetings Nisuro. Well met." the avatar opened. "Your Honour, well met indeed." came Nisuro's reply. "I've read your report on the situation down on Jontil-2. I'm relieved that we are not dealing with the Metacon in this particular instance. But the thought of a giant, sentient plant that uses other creatures for its pawns doesn't fill me with much comfort either." Nisuro mulled over his own thoughts on the creature. "It is indeed a unique lifeform your Honour. Have there been any reports of it regaining consciousness?" "No," Vikal answered "your theory about a class 9 containment field severing the Thorian from it's means of control seems to hold weight. The colonials have decided to build an observation facility to study it and maintain it in stasis. Though I have to say that governor Dejsal was livid at the fact you kept it alive." Nisuro frowned.

"Your Honour, do you think I made the right call down there?" he asked the avatar quietly. Vikal studied him briefly before replying with a question of his own. "Do you believe you made the right call Nisuro?" The commander looked to the side, not entirely sure of how to answer. "I know the Thorian is a dangerous organism, one that could have controlled the entire colony if we hadn't found it. But something in me tells me that it has some undefined role to play yet. I can't be sure what that role is...just that it is important in some way." Vikal smiled, "Ah..the famous intuition of Commander Nisuro comes to the fore again. Well, it's good enough for me. This was your first official mission for the Echelon and you performed impeccably. Not only did you save the colony as a whole but you kept casualties down to an absolute minimum. I understand both the survey team and your men are in full recovery." A pained look appeared on Nisuro's face. "All but one your Honour." he replied solemnly. Vikal sighed. "Ah yes, tra'lek Xehtors. It's a damn shame, he was a fine warrior..a fine one indeed. He died performing his duty..there's nothing more you can ask from someone like him. Have you given thought to who will select as your next tra'lek?" Nisuro shook his head. "No one right now your Honour..." he began before a sudden realization hit him "But...there may be someone who can fill his shoes.


	9. Blood

**Blood**

**28th of Zorem**

**Year 9293**

**Inarad-2**

**Omeel Cluster**

The Prothean struggled to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the shock of the eruption beneath him lingered on. To his left he watched several of his comrades open fire at the creature as it dove back underground. Panting, he raised his particle rifle and began to run to the rocky outcropping several metres to his right. "Everyone on me!" he roared as the rest of the formation followed his lead. Another explosion of rock and dirt sent one unfortunate Prothean flying into the air, his screams ending suddenly with a sickening crunch as he hit the ground. The ten metre long beast slithered past him, it's tentacled muzzle lifting as if sensing the air. It glided past the fallen soldier, oblivious to his presence. Pausing, it raised itself to its full height and burrowed back into the earth, disappearing from view in a cloud of dust and dirt.

The last of the soldiers had pulled themselves up onto the basalt crag, winded and fatigued from their sprint. "Tra'lek Khendas, we're all accounted for sir." a wiry soldier reported to the man waiting for them. "Everyone except for Ulawas down there," Khendas muttered as he looked to the motionless man on the ground. He turned back to his soldiers as they returned his look, awaiting their orders. "Listen up," he barked "we won't be going anywhere until that worm has been dealt with." He stood up, shouldering his rifle and looking back down at the plateau. "I'm going to head back down there to lure it out. When the worm surfaces, I want all of you to hit it with everything you have. Biotics, warp attack as much as possible. It's a tough bastard, but that should soften it up considerably." "Sir, you shouldn't go down there alone. At least let one of us…" the trooper from before began to protest. Khendas cut him off quickly. "No Ratek. If it's just a single source the worm will track based on the vibrations of my footsteps alone. There's no sense in risking anyone else from the company. Just concentrate on it once it surfaces and we'll take it out in no time." He climbed back down the rock face, ready to bait the worm.

He walked slowly, his pace determined and deliberate. Looking at the ground he saw the massive craters that the worm had created while surfacing. Avoiding these, he proceeded apace towards the body of Ulwas, who was breathing shallowly. "Ulwas? Can you hear me Ulwas?" Khendas shouted to no avail. _Damn it, he's out cold_ he thought to himself. A high pitched roar followed by a tumultuous rumble from behind him alerted Khendas to the danger he was facing. He whirled about lightning quick, his body shimmering as he created a barrier in a split second. The worm towered over him like an oversized serpent ready to strike. He felt a slight tingling sensation the acid dissipated on his barrier, knowing that he would have dissolved into sludge without it. Beams of pure energy began to hit the worm as it reared back in pain. It gave him enough time to scramble away and join in on the attack, his particle rifle raised and firing. He created a dark channel with his biotics, hitting the creature's rock solid skin and weakening it at the molecular level. With a final shriek it fell back and hit the ground with a loud slam. Khendas smiled to himself as he watched the beast lying lifeless on the ground, but his smile soon disappeared. A deafening boom erupted from the ground beneath the worm as it caved in under the weight of the corpse. Khendas held onto a crack in a nearby boulder to support himself as a storm of detritus filled the air.

Several minutes passed and the air cleared, allowing Khendas to survey the aftermath. Ulwas was still lying prone where he fell and the rest of the squad was making their way to his position. The worm was gone, and in its stead was a sinkhole about eight metres in diameter. Ratek ran up to Khendas, his face covered in grime. "We did sir! We took it down." he said, a broad grin on his face. "Indeed. I told you it wouldn't be too difficult." Khendas answered as he uncorked an offered canteen and began to drink deeply. There was a medic attending to Ulwas as Khendas approached and he stood over them. "What's the diagnosis Haejea?" The medic paused a moment to finish his work before answering. "He's suffered several cracked vertebrae along with a fractured leg. Still unconscious, but all in an all very fortunate to be alive. Give him several days in the infirmary and he'll be back on the field in no time." "That's good. He's an excellent soldier and his jokes are funny." Khendas replied. "Faeisj, get on the comm and let headquarters know we have a casualty and are in need of extraction." The soldier saluted and gave a crisp "Yes sir." "Tra'lek Khendas. You might want to take a look at this." a female Prothean yelled from the edge of the sinkhole.

Ratek followed him to the female Prothean gazing down into the pit. She was running scans and looked up at the two men who had joined her. "Sir, I believe there's a metallic structure underneath our feet." Khendas looked down but could see nothing but black. "How far does this go down Iygana?" he asked as he rubbed his shoulder, bruised during the battle. "I would say at least thirty metres Sir. It's safe to rule out the Metacon since it's lying in deep stratum. No...this is much older." Khendas sighed, relieved at the news. "Well that's reassuring. We drove the machines out of the Cluster fifteen cycles ago." "Could it be Zeioph ruins?" Ratek offered. "They do have those elaborate crypts on the fourth planet." Iyagna mused for a bit. "It's a possibility since they did have a presence in this system. Still, we won't know for sure unless someone goes down there." Khendas looked down and then at the duo. "Well...how about a little excursion you two?"

Khendas grunted with the effort of rappelling down the jagged wall, his shoulder making the descent arduous. He could hear Ratek hitting the ground below and looked over to his right to see Iyagna speeding down quickly. He grimaced, cursing the worm under his breath as he began to close the distance. The sun overhead began to shrink to a point of light being swallowed by the darkness. He heard a high pitched hum from below as one of the soldiers lit a strobe to illuminate the pitch black. Khendas reached the ground below at last, his shoulder on fire as he unclipped himself from the rope. His companions were at his back, examining the worm they had dispatched earlier. "Well, it's as good as dead I see." remarked Khendas as he joined them. Ratek prodded the remains with his rifle for good measure. "Yes sir. I swear I'll never ride one of these things again..even if I'm paid to do it." Khendas grinned in spite of himself, turning to Iyagna as she pointed her scanner into the darkness ahead. "This way." she said taking point. Khendas and Ratek lit strobes and dropped them at regular intervals as they followed Iyagna's lead.

Several minutes later they came upon a heavily oxidized wall, the blue metallic alloy having lost its sheen millennia ago. The rest of the complex was fused to the surrounding rock, making it difficult to assess the size of the structure. Iyagna approached the wall, her omni-tool at the ready to run her scans. Khendas's curiosity was piqued as he set aside his military duty for the thrill of discovery. "Ratek, take a look around and see if you can find some sort of entrance. But don't stray too far." Ratek saluted, replying "Yes Sir." as he began scouting the vicinity. Khendas touched the wall in the hopes of reading the imprints of the former inhabitants. _Nothing_ he thought to himself dismayed. "It would be a remote hope to read anything here Sir." Iyagna said, engrossed in her scans. "Time always finds a way to grind everything into dust, including memories." Khendas had to admit her point and he strode by her side, waiting to see what she found. "Anything yet?" he asked eagerly. "Not quite yet Sir but...there, I have it. Metallurgical analysis complete." Her fingers moved quickly over her omni-tool, her eyes moving over the data feed. "We can now rule out the Zeioph as the creators of this building. The alloys do not match those found in the crypts on Inarad-4. The age also suggests something much more recent." "The graves on Inarad-4 are at least 700,000 cycles old." Khendas remarked. "Yes Sir they are. My readings of this structure suggest an estimated age of 60,000 cycles, give or take." Khendas was clearly excited now as he considered the implications. "It's possible that this place is either an Inusannon or Thoi'han outpost?" Iyagna closed her omni-tool and turned to Khendas, also apparently eager to learn more. "Yes Sir. It could have belonged to one or the other since their technologies were practically analogous. We won't know for sure unless we can find a way in though."

"Sir, I might have found a way in." yelled Ratek from farther away in the dimness. Khendas and Iyagna walked over his position by a section of the wall that intersected the rock. Ratek stood by an aperture in the wall, large enough to fit an average sized Prothean. Khendas smiled to himself, thanking fate for allowing such good fortune. "Well," he said "let's go take a peek inside shall we?" Iyagna held up her hand in caution. "Sir, this facility might not be as stable as it appears. The battle with the worm disrupted the area substantially, not to mention the fact that the structural integrity has been decaying for centuries. I recommend discretion when entering." "And there's no telling what we'll find inside there." Ratek added darkly. Khendas nodded, aware that he was letting his emotions override his soldier's training. "Your due diligence is noted and appreciated. We will stay together at all times and at the first sign of trouble we'll double time it back here. Understood?" "Yes Sir," they replied in unison.

Khendas took point as the other two soldiers fell in line, the light on his rifle turned on. "Do either of you have any remaining strobes?" he asked. Iyagna nodded, "I have a full complement Sir." "About five left Sir," Ratek added. "Good," Khendas replied "I want you to drop them every ten metres. I don't want to be running outside in darkness if it can be helped." Entering the hole in the wall, they were surprised to find the hallway they were in was dimly lit in a faint sickly orange light. "Fluorescence?" Ratek opined. Iyagna nodded her head in agreement. "Apparently so. However, I'm not detecting any power signatures." The team moved warily along the narrow corridor, checking the rooms that flanked them. All were empty save for various tools of unknown design and purpose, their decay mirroring the state of the facility itself. "Sir, take a look at this!" Ratek called out excitedly from the rear. Khendas and Iyagna joined him next to the entrance of one of the rooms, which from the presence of beds and furnishings implied living quarters. Ratek began polishing the dust off a plate beside the doorway and soon flowing red script that ran vertically appeared. Iyagna ran the writing through her omni-tool and blinked her four eyes rapidly. "These are Inusannon glyphs." she announced breathlessly.

The Inusannon. To this day the Protheans still stood in awe of the ones they referred to as the Progenitors. Without them, the mass relays would not have made traversing the galaxy possible. And without them, the Citadel would have never taken form. The three companions stood silent for several moments, as if they became unwitting pilgrims visiting a sacred shrine. "What are the odds that three Prothean soldiers would chance upon an Inusannon facility, buried for ages, on a planet in the hinterlands?" Khendas remarked, smiling at his troops. He left the thought unanswered as he signaled them to press further into the structure. Khendas was disturbed about the possibility of finding the mummified remains of an Inusannon. He was never given to superstition, but to see such an empyrean being ravaged by time and degeneration would disappoint him greatly. Thankfully, and ominously enough, there was no trace of Inusannon remains anywhere. Iyagna stopped dead in her tracks. "Sir, I'm detecting a very faint energy emission close by." "I thought you said that this facility was powered down?" Ratek said. "It is Ratek." she said. "The source is something much smaller and compact. If my omni-tool wasn't so finely tuned I would have missed it easily." Khendas regarded her uncertainly. "Are you certain Iyagna? Could it just be a sensor ghost that you're picking up?" She nodded her head firmly. "Yes Sir, I am positive that this is genuine and not some fluke." Khendas pondered a moment before relenting. "Very well then, lead on. But stay alert. We don't know what we are dealing with here."

They departed down a side hallway, their weapons raised and checking their corners. Before long they came to what appeared to be a central nexus. The room was circular and lined with banks of cracked computer screens, their terminals covered with the dust of centuries. They approached cautiously, mindful of any possible traps that may have been left for intruders. In the middle of the room stood a cylindrical metal column with a duplicate column extending down from the ceiling above it. Resting in a square impression on the column was a crystalline cube. It was completely transparent and at first Khendas thought it resembled a prism. "Is that…" Iyagna didn't finish her sentence before her eyes widened in amazement. She hurried to cross the distance to the cube, abandoning all caution. "Iyagna, wait..." Khendas raised his hand to stop her but grasped nothing but stale air. She quickly began to examine it, the light from her omni-tool passing through the cube and refracting on the other end in a rainbow of colour. When nothing happened Khendas and Ratek moved to flank her, staring at the artifact. "Sir...do you realize what we just found?" Iyagna asked, her excitement palpable. "This is a fully intact Inusannon data cube Sir. In all the time that we have been a spacefaring civilization, we have only found four of these. It may not look like much, but each cube contains hundreds of zettabytes of data." Ratek looked stunned, and Khendas had no doubt he had a similar look on his own face. This was an incredible discovery, even more so that the cube was buried under rock for millennia, unscathed and waiting to be found. "We need to bring this back to headquarters. Something this important can't be left underground forever," Khendas said. Iyagna nodded her head in agreement. "It should be safe to handle. It's made from pure diamond. I suppose the Inusannon wanted their knowledge preserved for perpetuity."

Khendas reached forward and lifted the cube gently from its perch. He was holding knowledge from a time when Protheans were huddled around campfires and hurling stones at the binary moons of Vausher. That fact humbled him, and in many ways he felt unworthy of such a task. He placed the cube in a satchel on his abdomen, securing it tightly in his armour to prevent the loss of something so priceless. "Well done, the both of you." he said. "See if you can find anything else that may be useful in here." The trio began rummaging through the surroundings carefully, not wanting to risk any other relics waiting to be found. Khendas's communicator began to hum. "Sir...tra'lek Khendas Sir…." the voice on the other end belonged to Faeisj. "Go ahead Faeisj…" static began to interfere with the signal. "Damn it. This place seems to be dampening the transmission." Faeisj's voice crackled over the comm again. "Sir...if you can hear me...transporter...beginning descent."

A horrific realization dawned on Khendas. "Stop whatever you're doing." he said to his companions. "We need to move...NOW!" As if to answer his fears, the surrounding walls began to creak and groan. Dirt began to trickle down around them. "You two, keep as close as you can to me..on the double!" Khendas created an omnidirectional biotic sphere that extended for two metres, Ratek and Iyagna fell in behind their superior as they ran out of the central chamber. The quaking began in earnest as they entered the hallways, the walls shuddering and cracking from the instability. A beam began to fall on them, but the biotic sphere deflected it as if it were a twig. Rock pierced the ceiling, and Khendas gritted his teeth from the effort of maintaining the field. "Just another five metres Sir." shouted Ratek from his right shoulder. The end was in sight and before long and they emerged from the hole in the wall in a flurry of debris. Coughing furiously, they stood well away as the facility began to implode on itself. "Let's go, this entire pit is going to cave in soon" Khendas said between heavy breaths. They sprinted to the ropes they had left behind, climbing furiously as more ground began to give way. Khendas felt like he was ready to pass out from the pain emanating from his shoulder, but he pressed forward. To do otherwise meant certain death. With a growl of effort he pulled himself up onto the surface, unhooking his rappel and running several metres before collapsing in a heap.

He opened his eyes, staring at the cloudless sky overhead. His hands went to the satchel he was carrying, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt the cube. Both Ratek and Iyagan came over and extended their hands, pulling Khendas up to meet them. "Are you alright Sir?" Iyagan asked, concern in her voice. Khendas brushed his hand in front of him. "I've had worse days than this." "Sir..the data cube?" Ratek asked. "Right here Ratek. It's safe." Khendas answered, patting the satchel. He rubbed his shoulder forcefully before walking to the waiting transport. "Come on, time to head home." "Oh, and Ratek..remind me to have a chat with that pilot before we land." Ratek and Iyagan exchanged smiles before following Khendas to the vessel.

Commander Pavnet sat in his chair, staring at the data cube Khendas had retrieved. Khendas stood at attention, his eyes looking straight ahead. He was flanked on his left and his right by Ratek and Iyagna, who also mirrored his stance. "That was quite the jaunt you took your company on tra'lek Khendas. A routine patrol turns into a battle against a worm and ends in the discovery of this relic. You seem to have outdone yourself this time." Khendas clenched his jaw tightly, the last comment delivered in an acerbic tone. "That was not my intention Honoured Commander." he replied flatly. "Hmmm," Pavnet muttered to himself, leaning forward in his seat. "Trouble does tend to have a penchant for finding you though." Khendas felt his anger begin to rise in his gut and his eyes narrowed. _Is he insinuating that I intentionally brought my squad into danger? _It wasn't a secret that Pavnet did not like Khendas very much. Talk around the base said it boiled down to jealousy. Khendas, the young upstart tra'lek barely into adulthood, had accumulated more glory in his short career than Pavnet had in centuries. Most of the troops viewed Pavnet as a bureaucrat, not a soldier of the empire. "Again, Honoured Commander, that was never my intention." Khendas replied, his arms behind his back and his hands clenched.

Pavnet stood, his short stature belying the authority he wielded. "Very well, debriefing complete." he said, turning his gaze to Ratek and Iyagan. "Both of you are dismissed. Khendas, there are further matters that concern you." Khendas forced himself to not look at his companions as they saluted and turned about face. He heard the door hiss close and he knew he was alone with Pavnet. "At ease Khendas, this isn't some formal reprimand. We have a guest who would like to speak with you." Khendas relaxed, bewildered at the notice. "A guest, Honoured Commander?" "Yes," Pavnet replied "he's waiting for you on the observation balcony. Follow me." Khendas began to follow his commander before Pavnet stopped. "You might want to take your spoils with you. I believe he'll find some use for it" he said, pointing at the data cube. Khendas pocketed the cube and exited the office, trailing behind Pavnet. They didn't speak a word to each other as they rode the elevator to the top of the base. Leaving the elevator, they entered a room that resembled Pavnet's office, and before them lay an extensive platform overlooking the garrison. It was used as an observation point for drill inspections and, on occasion, to receive visiting officers. A lone Prothean stood at the railing, watching the day to day activity of the base unfold. Pavnet walked over to the standing man, consulting privately for a minute before they both turned to regard him. Khendas's eyes widened in surprise. Pavnet beckoned Khendas to approach, and Khendas walked onto the balcony to face his uncle, Nisuro. Nisuro smiled warmly at his nephew. "Hello Khendas. It's been some time hasn't it?" "Uncle Nisu…." Khendas winced at his momentary breach of protocol. "Honoured Commander, you favour me with your countenance." he corrected himself, bowing deep. "No need for the military propriety Khendas. We are blood, you and I." Khendas stood facing his uncle again. He saw a mien to Nisuro, as if he was carrying an invisible burden that he never had when they last met. "I will leave you both in privacy." Pavnet said as he bowed to Nisuro. "Thank you Commander Pavnet, that is appreciated." The commander turned and left, leaving uncle and nephew alone together.

Khendas stood side by side with his uncle at the rail, both men silent for several minutes and studying the activity below. "How long has it been since we've last seen each other Khendas?" Nisuro asked, breaking the silence. Khendas considered for a moment. "It's been twenty cycles uncle. I had just graduated from basic in the Uylav Cluster." Nisuro laughed as he remembered. "Ah, I remember that. If I recall correctly, you were the biggest hellraiser the camp had seen in cycles. You were a blade's edge away from being expelled." Khendas cringed inwardly at the memory, shamed at the lack of discipline he showed in his youth. "That seems so long ago. I was a different person then..young, ignorant, rebellious. In all honesty uncle Nisuro, I can scarcely believe that I'm here now." Nisuro nodded, his demeanour serious again as he turned to his nephew. "Your father was incredibly proud of you that day Khendas. For what you became. It's unfortunate he is no longer with us to witness how far you have travelled." It felt like a knife slid between his ribs when Nisuro mentioned his father. Five cycles following his graduation his father's freighter had been attacked and destroyed by a Metacon vessel. Khendas turned his grief into his greatest weapon, the will to see every synthetic in the galaxy utterly obliterated.

"Unfortunately I'm not here to reminisce with you Khendas. I'm here to offer you something." Khendas looked back at Nisuro, unsure of what he meant. "An offer uncle Nisuro?" Khendas nodded his head in affirmation. "Yes. I'm offering you an opportunity to serve aboard my ship as tra'lek of my soldiers." Khendas blinked his eyes in rapid succession, unsure as to what he was hearing. "But uncle, you must already have a tra'lek onboard." "Not at the moment. There was an...incident several weeks ago that ended the life of my tra'lek." he replied with a sad look on his face. Khendas still had a hard time digesting his uncle's proposition. "But uncle Nisuro, surely you have more qualified individuals on your vessel that can fill that role. I'm only a soldier serving his tour on an arid rock." Nisuro simply smiled at his nephew. "Your brief service record indicates otherwise. There's the Oepon campaign, where you received a distinguished service citation. There's Chuvab, where your company was instrumental in lifting the siege by Metacon forces. Then there's that bit of business on Hykaed-7, where your company held out for a day against a machine onslaught, long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Now, Commander Pavnet tells me you just unearthed an Inusannon data cube that you now have in your possession. Now tell me nephew...how much more qualified must you be?" "I was simply performing my duty uncle Nisuro." Khendas said as he shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "You still shall perform your duty Khendas. I'm not here as your kinsman, but as someone who recognizes your talents on the field. I no longer command the Beryl Sunset but a vessel called the Quickening. My crew and I respond to situations that fall outside the general sphere of regular military operations. I need someone like you on my ship."

Khendas considered his uncle's overture carefully, observing the base around him carry on as if he wasn't even there. _What does he mean by falling outside the general sphere?_ _What the hell, it's worth a try _Khendas thought to himself. "Alright uncle Nisuro, you win. I'll take the position. But, I only ask for one favour in return." Nisuro considered Khendas for a moment before answering. "And what would that favour entail?" Khendas knew he was gambling, but he had nothing to lose. "I ask that two of my company, Ratek and Iyagna, be reassigned with me." Nisuro considered for a moment before giving his answer. "That is an odd request, but we can accommodate them." Nisuro's voice took a stern tone with his nephew. "Be warned Khendas. We are bound by blood, but you will follow my orders to the letter, just as everyone else on the Quickening. Expect no special treatment or benefits from our ties. I am no longer uncle Nisuro but Commander Nisuro to you. Understood?" Khendas snapped to attention and saluted his uncle. "Yes Honoured Commander Nisuro. I pledge my life and service to you." A broad smile lit Nisuro's face as he held his nephew by the shoulders. "Excellent. I suppose the next order of business is to inform Commander Pavnet that you and your squadmates are being reassigned. I'm sure he won't be pleased." They turned to approach the elevator and Khendas snorted. "I doubt that very much. In fact, he'll be throwing a parade and declaring an official holiday once we leave orbit." Nisuro erupted in laughter as the elevator door slid shut.


End file.
